Cos d'Estournel - Saint-Estèphe 2009

Vinous

91

byNeal Martinthe2/28/2025

The 2009 Cos d’Estournel is a wine that I have tasted a dozen times, from barrel until now, blind and non-blind. From the beginning I have been critical of this 2009, a wine built to appease the prevailing demand for hubristic, flamboyant Claret that in the process, lost the essence of its own character and terroir. Over subsequent tastings I have gone a little easier on the 2009 and yet tasting have proven time and time again that hedging my bet against the superior 2010 was the right move. There is no denying the pleasure that the 2009 gives. It has a gaudy, flamboyant, almost sexy bouquet with oodles of summer fruit, iodine and later plenty of crème de cassis. But is Saint-Estèphe supposed to be sexy? Not for this writer. The palate is full-bodied with rounded, velvety tannin, rich and decadent with enormous weight and fruit intensity. What it lacks is tension and finesse. What it lacks is an articulation of terroir like the 2010, 2012 or 2014. If you have a penchant for hedonistic Claret then this will satiate the senses. A wine is supposed to offer more than that, this Second Growth has provided many alternatives over the years. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical in London.

Vinous

91

byNeal Martinthe2/3/2025

The 2009 is a Saint-Estèphe lauded in some quarters upon release, anointed with perfect scores, albeit not from myself. From my introduction in barrel with then estate manager, Jean-Guillaume Prats, the 2009 felt over-endowed, a wine predesigned to flutter its lashes during en primeur, one that equated sheer power with quality. I last drank this vintage six years ago. It remains decadent and ostentatious on the nose, rich and almost over-generous with crème de cassis and iodine scents. It comes across more Napa than Bordeaux, and contentiously, perhaps that was the intention? Likewise, the palate is decked out with lush and slightly overripe black fruit, relatively low acidity and plenty of weight but not much in the way of finesse. Admittedly, I don't find the wine unenjoyable, and my score should reflect that. You have to admire its hedonism, and if that’s your bag, you’ll love it. But the 2009 harks back to a period when even some of the Médoc’s grandest châteaux seemed to follow a?recipe, when more was always more.

Wine Advocate

100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe3/18/2019

Vinous

91

byNeal Martinthe3/15/2019

The 2009 Cos d’Estournel has an expansive and undeniably seductive bouquet, a mélange of red and black fruit, cold slate, damp earthy bordering on mulch-like aromas all delivering with ample freshness and certainly better delineation that it showed in its infancy. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, quite rich in style, decadent with a sweet core of fruit that is attractive but very un-Bordeaux like. Cos d’Estournel? Plush but bereft of intellect. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting. Drink 2022-2040.

Wine Advocate

100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

Wine Advocate

91

byNeal Martinthe1/1/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. There is a lot of fruit intensity on the nose with layers of blackberry, raspberry, candied orange peel and dark plum all vying for attention. It is glossy, dare I say almost “slutty”. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins on the entry. There is good weight and volume to this wine, the Merlot more expressive than elsewhere with a lovely rich, decadent, weighty finish that is a hedonistic treat, but chooses not to translate the terroir of this great property. I prefer the 2010! Tasted January 2013.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

92

byStephen Tanzerthe7/31/2012

Saturated dark ruby. Exotic, port-like aromas of blackberry liqueur, mocha and grilled meat. Fat, lush, saline and sweet, conveying an impression of extreme port-like ripeness. Huge, mouth-saturating flavors of dark berries and chocolate. Not heavy but doesn't exactly dance on the palate. Does this need years to shed some of its baby fat or will it always be a bit monolithic? Finishes with a boatload of ripe, broad tannins and palate-staining fruit. In a distinctly extreme style, and yet this maintained its sweetness of fruit for days in the recorked bottle. This is bound to be one of the most controversial wines of the vintage. I look forward to checking back in on it in 10 or 15 years. 92(+?) points

Wine Advocate

100

byRobert Parkerthe2/29/2012

One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d’Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d’Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century.

Jamessuckling.com

100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2012

What a fabulous nose of currants, raspberries and Indian spices. Nutmeg and clover. Full-bodied, with an amazing precision and superb compacted fruit. Endless. Laser guided. Shows such intensity. Decadent and rich and changing all the time. Mystical wine. Dense, yet agile. More refined than when I tasted it in November in Hong Kong. Try in 2018.

Wine Spectator

97

byJames Molesworththe1/11/2012

This is a stunner, with gloriously ripe, succulent cassis, blackberry and fig fruit flavours backed by extra notes of plum cake, blueberry confiture and roasted wood spice. On the back half, the iron spine takes over the hard-driving and extremely long anise-and incence-tinged finish. An awesome expression of the modern style. Best from 2020 through 2040.-J.M.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-90

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2010

(a blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, and 2% cabernet franc; 80% new oak; 33 hectoliters per hectare; 14.5% alcohol; IPT 99; 56% selection for the grand vin Inky purple. Extremely ripe aromas of red fruits macerated in alcohol, espresso and dark chocolate (almost Banyuls- or port-like), with a more refreshing floral element emerging with aeration. Enters the mouth smooth, sweet and floral, with a velvety texture, but then turns slightly hollow in the mid-palate, hinting at overripe red cherry and dark plum flavors. Finishes dry and a touch astringent (heat-stressed merlot?). By no means a bad wine, but this version of Cos has more in common with a late-harvested negroamaro from southern Italy or an overripe fruit bomb from Napa than a fine Medoc wine. As much as I liked the 2008, I find this wine overdone, and I don't believe it will improve much with time. (88-90?)

Le Figaro

96-100

byBernard Burtschythe6/30/2010

Spectaculaire et d’une rare efficacité sont les nouveaux équipements installés dans le célèbre chai du château. Jean-Guillaume Prats a donc pu extraire la quintessence de son magnifique raisin, ce qui donne un vin d’une phénoménale concentration qui séduit les dégustateurs impressionnés par la puissance. Le vin n’a aucun équivalent dans le passé et il est difficile d’imaginer son futur même si le terroir en a vu d’autres : il a toujours engendré de très grands vins, même quand la matière était très faible. Il en sera sûrement de même maintenant que la matière impressionne par sa densité. Un beau cas d’école avec ce vin au nez de mûre, très fin, finement épicé. En bouche, l’attaque est particulièrement dense avec une très belle matière, un léger flottement, de belles épices et une finale de réglisse un peu mâchée. Du charme et surtout une incroyable densité. 65 % cabernet-sauvignon, 33 % merlot, 2 % cabernet-franc. 80 % de fût neuf, IPT 99.

timatkin.com

95

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2010

14.5% alcohol. 65 CS, 33M, 2CF The 2009 is a controversial wine, an all out attempt to produce a claret that bludgeons the taster into submission. There’s no denying the quality of the fruit – or the investment that has been made in the vineyard and cellar here – but this seems OTT to me, closer to a Shiraz than a red Bordeaux in style and flavour. A massive, super-charged number that will divide opinions. 15+ years.

Le Point

16

byJacques Dupontthe5/6/2010

Nez de porto vintage, fruits noirs en confiture, bouche puissante, tanins gras en milieu de bouche, sucrosité des tanins, puissant, long, dense, tannique, très riche, très solaire, un style assez éloigné de ce que l'on connaît des vins de Bordeaux. Avec le temps... O=2016 G=25 ans

TAST

16

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2010

Cet immense vin est le seul qui pose à notre équipe une difficulté majeure de notation. Nous sommes ici en effet en terrain inconnu en raison de la forme particulière que ce millésime hors norme a donné au cru. Son degré alcoolique insolite, le côté flamboyant de ses arômes (Jean-Guillaume Prats les qualifie de « baroques ») le met complètement à part des autres. Mais sa perfection d’élaboration ne fait aucun doute. Il est donc facile de l’écarter comme incongru en Médoc, ce que nous ne ferons pas, connaissant la force du terroir qui s’impose toujours au vieillissement quels que soient les choix du vinificateur. Mais on a du mal à voir dans quelle direction le terroir s’exprimera dans trente ans. Pagodes de Cos, « l’autre » vin du château, qui a bénéficié de l’apport de somptueux cabernets-sauvignons, à l’inverse de la tendance du millésime, apparaît davantage ancré dans le terroir et peut-être plus satisfaisant intellectuellement malgré un tanin un peu plus rugueux. Entre 16 et 19/20 selon l’humeur du jour.

Wine Advocate

89-91

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2010

Tasted twice on separate occasions at the property. Stylistically, the Cos d’Estournel sets itself apart from the entire Left Bank, though I am uncertain whether this is a positive thing. Coming in with an IPT of 99 and tangible 14.5% alcohol, it is endowed with an extremely rich, decadent nose with macerated black cherries, cassis, a touch of crème de menthe, melted chocolate and a hint of fig. This is an extremely powerful nose that bears more relationship with the Douro than the Gironde. It is endowed with Leviathan tannins that form a massive, arching structure, moderate acidity, the power seeming to dominate the finish at the expense of a little finesse. This is a Cos d’Estournel that wants to make a bold impression. Leaving it for 15-20 minutes there is a change in the glass, becoming rounder and more harmonized, certainly some of the heat dissipating and yet one has to question whether stylistically, it has forsaken its identity as quintessential Saint Estephe? Another sample with one hour decanting with a little smoother and yet still showed a little hardness and alcohol on the finish. Tasted March 2010.

Decanter Magazine

18,5

bySteven Spurrierthe4/30/2010

Superb black red, very full and spicy, very broadly structured, really quite massive (14.5abv) and will take years to pick up finesse, a 'baroque' almost Porty wine, explosively rich and definitely impressive if not a typical Saint-Estèphe. Drink 2018-40.

Wine Enthusiast

94-96

byRoger Vossthe4/30/2010

A hugely rich wine, where the tannins seem initially lost in the overwhelming fruit. It has power and concentration, showing its alcohol a little. There is great intensity, but a taste like super-ripe Zinfandel, from the very ripe fruit.

WeinWisser

20

byRené Gabrielthe4/30/2010

65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 33 % Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 65 % der Ernte wurden als Grand Vin selektioniert, der Ertrag beträgt nur 33 hl/ha. Extrem dunkles Purpur mit lila und violett-schwarzen Reflexen. Kompaktes Bouquet, schwarze Fruchtnoten, schwarze Kirschen, Brombeeren, schwarze Edelhölzer, schwarze Olivenpaste, Guinness- Malztöne, eingedickter Birnensaft, Pumpernickelbrot, Lakritze, Vanillemark, getrocknete Malagatrauben… – Irgendwie erinnert uns das warme bis heisse Bouquet an einen Amarone. Wenn man aber von der Fülle und Schwere des Nasenbildes auf einen überladenen Wein am Gaumen schliesst, liegt man tendenziell falsch. Die gewaltige Konzentration meistert der erhabene 09er Cos königlich und zelebriert eine royale Finesse bis zum komplexen Finale, das schwarzes Kirschenkompott, arabischen Mokka sowie einen schwarzschokobitteren, noblen Malzton auffährt. Dieser Cos ist eine Art überfetter 1982er! Oder wie ein Blend aus einem Viertel Cos, einem Viertel Quintarelli Amarone, einem Viertel Ridge Monte Bello 2003 und einem Viertel von einem jungen grossen Vintage Port. Ein sehr kontroverser, aber zweifellos genialer Wein! 2016–2035

Falstaff

98-100

byPeter Moserthe4/30/2010

Nougat, dunkle, konzentrierte Beerenfrucht, zart nach Dörrzwetschken, Orangenzesten, tabakige Würze. Kraftvoll, zarte Bitterschokolade, stramme Tannine, extraktsüßer Kern, süßer Nachhall, bleibt sehr lange haften, Dörrobst, Schokofinish.

Wine Advocate

98-100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2010

The 2009 Cos d’Estournel is one of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted ... in the world! An extraordinary effort I tasted on two separate occasions, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest primarily Merlot with a dollop of Cabernet Franc has a whopping 14.5% alcohol, but a remarkably normal pH of 3.69. Kudos to Jean- Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier for this amazing wine made from yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare. It will be a legendary claret that should last for 50-60 years. A black/purple color is accompanied by aromas of graphite, ink, creme de cassis, blackberries, cedar, and incense. Full-bodied and unctuously textured, with an ethereal personality, tons of nuances, and a burgeoning complexity, it is an enormously wellendowed, fresh, perfectly balanced tour de force in winemaking. As mentioned above, it should drink well for 50-60 years. This wine possesses this vintage’s classic characteristics of enormous power, massive fruit, and extraordinary freshness and precision - largely unprecedented, particularly for Cabernet-based wines in the Medoc. (Tasted two times.) Drink 2010-2070. (98-100*) points

Periodic Review of Wine

95-97

byAlan Duranthe4/28/2010

This is a profound St. Estèphe that is well-endowed with concentrated fruit. It may reach the status of the extraordinary 2003 vintage. The full-bodied, deeply-rimmed, saturated inky-purple colored 2009 offers a striking perfume of seared bloody meats, blueberry liqueur, cassis, spilled-ink, and caramelized elements. This is potent in concentrated fruit, broad-shouldered and lengthy, yet still rather youthful in its evoltion, which could foretell an even better Cos d'Estournel. Maturity period 2015-2036+

Anthony Rose

92-94

byAnthony Rosethe4/26/2010

56% of the total production of the château in 2009 with 80% new oak, this is a blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 2% cabernet franc. Very dense and inky, almost opaque in colour, rich and savoury, a tad baked and almost tarry, at the same time on the nose, jammy and savoury; the fruit is intense, concentrated, dark, powerful, with dark chocolate and black fruits sweetness , a twist of astringency, and very firm backbone with lots of oak and sweet fleshed fruit, massive and very tannic. Hard to call, but at this stage feels almost too masochistically chunky for its own good. Impressive without question but will it come round? Maybe they’ll bring a softening element to it before the final bottling in which case it should. Maybe they won’t. Does it matter? The Americans are sure to love it. 92-94?

Wine Spectator

97-100

byJames Sucklingthe4/9/2010

This smells like Harlan a bit. Supercharged in fruit, with intense aromas of tar, spice, cardamon, clove, blackberry and black pepper. Crazy nose. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit, yet focused and in form. Chewy tannins, with great length. This goes on and on. Incredibly exotic. Could be best ever from here?

Jancis Robinson

16,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/7/2010

IPT (total polyphenol index) 99 is volunteered, along with 14.5%, TA 3.1 g/l (sulphuric, ie 4.75 tartaric), pH 3.69. 56% of the crop went into Cos. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 80% new barrels. Prats: ‘A bit like 2003, average yield 33 hl/ha. We had to reject all the [most stressed] south-facing parcels where the vines shut down. It’s a very atypical, baroque Cos.’ Very dark indeed. Blackish crimson. Not much scent though obviously very ripe. Firmer than some of the more obvious Napa Valley-style wines in 2009 with the tannins much more obvious. But a coolness on the finish. This may come round eventually. It is much more demanding than most 2009s and will need SO long. A very exaggerated wine with a bit of a hole in the middle. A definite lack of freshness. Does remind me a little bit of Pavie 2003. To be generous I’m assuming that in the far distant future it may resolve itself but I can’t quite understand why they let the grapes get so ripe. Harvest dates are pretty similar to Ch Latour but the results are very different. 14.5% (16.5+) Drink 2024-2040