Lot 109
CHÂTEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL 1996 (1) WA 94
CHÂTEAU GRUAUD-LAROSE 2000 (1) WA 94
CHÂTEAU MONTROSE 2001 (1) WA 93+
Lot 109 Details
CHÂTEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL 1996 (1)
Saint-Estèphe. 2ième Cru Classé
scraped & marked label.
Tasted at the château, the 1996 Cos d'Estournel was aged in 65% new oak (unlike the 1995 which was 100%) and is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot. It has a straight down the line, intense and focused, graphite and melted tar bouquet. It is almost Pauillac in style, no surprise given its proximity. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh acidity, finer tannin than the 1986 Cos d'Estournel tasted alongside, but sharing those same leitmotifs of black pepper and sea salt. I like the nonchalance of this Cos d'Estournel. At 20 years it is not an ostentatious wine, not determined to go out and impress, but its nuance, stylishness and classicism grow on you. Its virtues seem to register only after you swallow the wine and find yourself tempted back for more. Excellent. Tasted July 2016. WA 94
CHÂTEAU GRUAUD-LAROSE 2000 (1)
Saint-Julien. 2ième Cru Classé
scraped label.
A very strong effort for Gruaud Larose, possibly eclipsed by what they have done in 2009, this is a pure, full-bodied Gruaud Larose with plenty of new saddle leather, cedar wood, black currants, cherries, licorice, and Provencal herbs. Spicy, earthy, full-bodied, and rich, it has hit its plateau of full maturity, where it should stay for another 20 or more years. WA 94
CHÂTEAU MONTROSE 2001 (1)
Saint-Estèphe. 2ième Cru Classé
u. bn.
WA 93+