Chateau Cos d'Estournel 1982

Built for aging. Very dark ruby in color, with a garnet rim. Dried flower and berry aromas. Full-bodied and very solid, with masses of fruit and tannins. Still has plenty of time to go. — 1982 Bordeaux horizontal.

This wine is a lovely example of the potential and longevity of the 1982 vintage below the first growth level. Although it shows mature notes of cedar, smoke, and spice, this wine is still youthful and vigorous. The texture is firm yet silky – the tannins are resolved, yet there is still an impression of substance and impressive length here. Although it is mature now, this should easily hold another five to 10 years.

Full medium red. Spicy aromas of redcurrant, strawberry and plum. Ripe, lush and gentle, with a mineral character contributing to the impression of structure and leavening the wine's sweetness. Very long, ripely tannic finish shows slightly elevated alcohol but comes across as firm nonetheless. (A second sample showed aromas of currant, tobacco, coconut and menthol and seemed tighter, even a bit harder, in the middle palate, with a similarly firm structure; I scored this sample 93(+?)) Drink now through 2020.

Refined in character, with loads of cigar box, spice, peppery herbs, black currants, and a finish that tastes as good as it feels, this is a fabulous, fully mature Bordeaux wine at its peak. Drink from 2024–2035.

I loved this bottle of 1982 Cos d'Estournel, and it was easily the best bottle I’ve had of this wine, which has always shown slightly tired and over the hill for me. It shows classic, even youthful notes of lead pencil, currants and saddle leather, was full-bodied, had beautiful depth of fruit, and a great, great finish, all pointing to a fully mature yet grand Saint-Estèphe. Drink up.

Medium-deep garnet; fine notes of maturity. From the outset, a delicate, dreamlike bouquet, not as brawny as other 1982s but favouring finesse; multilayered, recalling a great Ducru-Beaucaillou thanks to gorgeous cedar aromas; plum notes, a lingering hint of cassis, hence an affinity with a Pomerol, with impressions mingling with dried thyme and malty sweetness. On the palate, fine and elegant yet with drive; regal tannins; a long, majestic finish.

Tasted very often. Somehow I feel it was at its very best during the fruit phase (as Mouton 1982 was as well...). That’s why my first encounter with the ’82 Cos remains unforgettable. Thank you, Walter Kaufmann. In 1992 I drank it twice in the same week: once rated 19/20 (see description) and once 17/20. The riddle solved – the second bottle had been decanted two hours earlier and served far too warm. 99: Still very dark. Opulent, expansive bouquet. On the palate velvety, chocolaty, with plenty of charm and very ripe tannins. A dream that is clearly at its peak now (19/20). In 2001: The autochthonous, delicate, spicy-perfumed Médoc scent currently graces this wine. A ’82 can be so elegant and so sensational. While many other rivals court wine lovers with power and richness, this Cos has grown into a Lafite from St. Estèphe. Thank you Patrick – that was a wonderful wine experience (19/20). A full dozen bottles were happily consumed in 2002, when 120 people indulged at the Cos evening at the Park Hotel Vitznau. Actually 10 bottles would have sufficed, but when I went to the office, the crew was just toasting the beautiful party: noblesse oblige! You can drink your tip after all (19/20). 05: Everyone had to/was allowed to bring two bottles. Two had the same idea and so two bottles of Cos 1982 stood on the table. We drank the first first and the second last. An absolutely dreamy wine, still deeply spicy, with Lafite-like elegance (19/20). 06: At the Cos tasting at the Caveau in Zurich, organized by Stefan Huwyler, the most beautiful wine of the evening. Not a powerhouse nose but very elegant and multi-layered, more reminiscent of a Ducru with its perfumed cedars and delicate chocolate tones. Juicy, elegant, very long. (19/20). 08: Deep purple with an orange-red rim. Warm nose, pear syrup, stewed prunes, tobacco, chamomile, dried thyme, even shows traces of cassis and black currant, absolutely intact and showing a beautiful drinking maturity. Charm and suppleness on the heady palate, soft tannins that simply melt away, sweetness running through to the long finish, and the wine radiates lavish sensuality. 09: Unfortunately a slightly overripe bottle, probably stored too warm, on a boat trip. 10: And a heavily overripe bottle at Baschi’s 80s tasting. Mushroomy with a soy touch. The show is over? (17/20). 10: Mocha and dried prunes in a somewhat Bordeaux-atypical bouquet. On the palate lots of extract, currants, Darjeeling tea, meaty with an extremely aromatic aftertaste. That was a superb bottle and possibly the best impression we’ve ever had of a mature Cos. (19/20). 12: Medium-dark garnet. Wonderful bouquet, red plums, Dominican cedar, pencil lead, a touch of licorice, coffee, black peppercorns, coming across multi-layered and very finely nuanced. Concentrated palate, yet remaining fine and very elegant, still showing a certain reserve in extract, lingering long and aromatic with slightly exotic spice notes. Still quite a big Cos sensation, if you come across such great bottles! (19/20). 13: Color still fairly intact, maturity tones. Open bouquet appears very ripe with oxidation notes, dried shiitake mushrooms, seems already overripe. On the palate, surprisingly fine for a Saint Estèphe, and even too slender for a Cos. The best moment seems already past. 16/20. 16: Medium wine-red, orange rim, quite transparent. The nose fully open, but only running at half throttle (there used to be much more there). On the palate juicy, elegant, the finish gently bitter. Somehow with each new contact a bit of air escapes. So, downward trend. (17/20). 21: It used to be denser, sweeter and more complex. Today the bouquet is prettier than the palate. Still nicely seasoned with cedar, but the finish is unfortunately a tad depleted. (17/20).

Velvety, sweet, powerful, complex bouquet of dried plums, nougat, licorice, cedar, mint, herbs. Balanced, dense, creamy palate with a velvety, fine structure, fine tannins, powerful, sweet aromatics, long, plush finish. 19/20 to drink

Not decanted. Dark color, good intensity and evolved. Fruity, delicate nose with lovely cedar aromas. The palate is perfumed and light, with medium length. Either there is bottle variation, or this wine has dropped off sharply. Over the last two tastings, the trend is downward.

This 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a silky finish. It appears to have hit full maturity, but it can easily be held in a cold cellar for another 10+ years. Release price: ($115.00/case)