Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2000

Showing some lightening at the edges as well as some amber, this is the least impressive of the greatest vintages for Cos d’Estournel between 2000 and 2009. It is an outstanding wine, but it is closer to maturity and lacking the concentration, texture, and overall compelling aromatics of more recent vintages. The wine displays roasted herbs intermixed with licorice, incense, black cherry, and black currant fruit. Medium-bodied, rather than full, elegant, with some spicy tannins and a nice sweet finish, compared to the other top classified growths, this wine is on a much faster evolutionary track and can be drunk now and over the next 15 or more years.

This is showing noticeable maturity, with dark plum and currant fruit flavors now well-ingrained with singed cedar, tobacco and bay notes, but the structure remains remarkably polished, with a caressing feel through the finish, where a hint of warm pebbles peeks through. -- Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now and beyond. 20,830 cases made.

A big, rich St-Estèphe that’s full of pleasure. It’s perhaps a little bit more evolved than I might have expected, displaying gently burnished notes of autumnal fruits. Open and ready to drink, the tannins are still solid but they are certainly caressing. Overall this is very good quality and well structured, displaying graphite and liquorice against the softness of the fruit. Harvest was 22 September to 9 October and 65% was used for grand vin production. Matured in 80% new oak.

Shows age now with aromas of tobacco, plums and smoked meat. Licorice too. Full-bodied, round and soft with plenty of attractive tertiary character. Needs drinking.

Full ruby-red. Cassis, minerals, cedar and a floral note on the nose, along with an herbal currant leaf component. Juicy and tight; hints at the power of the vintage but misses out on the sweetness and pliancy of the best examples. Offers a reasonably seamless texture but the firmly tannic finish seems a bit herbaceous following the 2001.

Medium-bodied, elegant, soft, round, and polished, the wine offers its plummy, Asian-spiced currants, smoke, licorice, tobacco, and mint leaf charms as soon as it hits the glass. This is showing really well today, but it has a lot of life remaining, so no hurry to pull a cork. Drink from 2023–2040.

Drinking at point today, the 2000 Château Cos D'Estournel offers a beautifully complex, mature profile of darker fruits, leafy tobacco, cedarwood, and plenty of earthy, spicy nuances. It’s medium-bodied, elegant, and layered on the palate, with fine, integrated tannins. I love it today, but it will no doubt evolve gracefully over the coming 15-20 years. The blend of the 2000 is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Medium garnet, with a delicate brick-red hue at the rim. Roasted bouquet, black bread, pumpernickel, plenty of cedar nuances, light tobacco. On the palate still firm, grainy, gingerbread spices and cardamom in a dark-roasted, mocha-tasting finish. A great Bordeaux, though it doesn’t quite keep up with the other 2000s of the same class.

118 hl of Cabernet Franc will very likely be declassified! <div style="font-style:italic;color:#990033">I’m not entirely sure yet</div>, said Jean-Guillaume Prâts. <div style="font-style:italic;color:#990033">The Cabernet Franc suffered greatly from the drought, and therefore I haven’t included it in the blend for now. It is currently resting separately in a series of barriques, but I will most likely fully declassify it! Thus, the blend at Cos would exceptionally be 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. But that’s not the only exception. Over the past twenty years, we have fermented in our stainless-steel tanks. This year I brought the old concrete tanks back to life with very satisfying results. Due to its powerful structure, the 2000 somewhat reminds me of the 1986 vintage, except that this year we had a much lower yield, only 48 hl/ha.</div> 01: Barrel sample (18/20): Deep violet with almost black highlights. Intense coffee and rosewood bouquet, cocoa notes, black olives, prunes and fine spicy tones, incredibly intense and as concentrated as it hasn’t been in a long time. On the palate, a mouthful of wine, lots of fat, flesh and finely textured contours, blueberry fruit play with plenty of blackberries and again plums; the fruit is perfectly ripe and the wine is clearly focused. It has the potential of the brilliant ’96 Cos and shows the curves of the opulent ’82, yet is a touch more refined. Still, it shows it is a St. Estèphe. At the moment the Merlot and Cabernet grapes still act a bit polarizing, but that will sort itself out with barrel aging. Tasted again at Cos in autumn 2001: While the wine showed a certain fascination at the en primeur tastings and barely reached 18/20, it presented itself very tired in autumn 2000. Is it lifeless, bland and without charisma in autumn? My God, I still remember well how I tasted the 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1989 from barrel. All very great to truly great wines. But this 2000, at the same stage today, has not even half of that fascination. So can it deliver in ten years what it doesn’t have today, can it? Cos is on the verge of losing all its jokers and, among the Super Seconds (does it still morally belong there?), drawing the short straw. If the 2000 continues to develop at this level, it will never again reach the 18/20 points of the en primeur tasting in its drinking window. But until then, let’s stay on the optimistic side: (18/20). 04: At the book premiere in Linz I got a small sip. Remarkable bouquet; already nutty with intense coffee-roast notes. On the palate velvety, soft and already very enjoyable now—except for its price, which it still won’t be worth in 10 years. (18/20). 06: Experienced three times within 2 months. Once in Hamburg, once in Vienna and once at the large Cos tasting in Appenzell. Medium garnet, delicate brick rim. Roasted bouquet, black bread, pumpernickel and many cedar nuances, light tobacco. On the palate still firm, grainy, gingerbread spices and cardamom in a dark-roasted, mocha-tasting finish. A great Bordeaux, but one that cannot quite keep up with the other 2000s of its class. (18/20). 14: Slightly dull purple with violet highlights. Warm bouquet, many dark roasted notes, smells of black bread crust, ripe plums, a hint of freshly roasted coffee, fine and elegant nose. Not a complicated nasal approach, so “easy to handle.” On the palate, substance, density, soft tannins, extract still slightly mealy. Otherwise, somehow all is peace and harmony. Already a lot of fun to drink. Not an absolutely great Cos, because a little too under-concentrated and thus not sufficiently complex. (18/20). 18: The color shows the first brick-red nuances. The nose is a spicy cedar package, underpinned by plum tones, coffee and licorice. On the second pass, the bouquet turns fully to spice and recalls black peppercorns just crushed. The palate is soft and charming. The remaining tannins fit harmoniously into the flow, making this Cos a ready-to-drink experience without any regret. One might complain that, as a Super Second, it doesn’t quite keep up with its league. Whining at a rather high level. (18/20). 20: Dense purple with a slightly lightening, ruby rim. Open bouquet, cedar scent like a Saint-Julien, licorice, black pepper powder, finely layered and perhaps a bit tentative on the attack for this vintage. On the palate juicy, elegant, well balanced and with a mild finish. A nice, good 2000, but unfortunately not big enough for its general reputation and the vintage’s potential. On the other hand, it is already so very “ready” today! (18/20). 21: Quite dark purple, no maturity tones. Intensely scented bouquet, chestnut purée, licorice, Szechuan pepper, cardamom, ribwort plantain, blackcurrant pastilles and cold smoke. Develops positively with air and gains a bit more depth. On the palate juicy with medium drive, showing fine gaps in the texture. Undoubtedly a very good 2000. In its own class, or compared to similarly situated crus, it unfortunately cannot quite keep up. In addition, it already seems fully at its peak, which is (still) not the case with other Super Seconds. 18/20 drink

Lactic, sweet, velvety bouquet, Morello cherries, mocha yogurt. Sweet, medium-bodied palate with fine, slightly mealy tannins, sweet aromatics, firm structure, sweet finish. 17/20 drink - 2030

Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2000 Cos d'Estournel has a medium brick color and a fragrant perfume of powdered cinnamon, incense, rose oil, and unsmoked cigars, leading to a core of dried cherries and mulberries with a touch of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly crafted and silky with a refreshing line and perfumed finish. Very pretty and it’s drinking beautifully now!

Straightforward yet still slightly austere, with deep fruit. Superb tannic structure, sleek and precise. The wine extends on the palate and finishes with finely mineral notes.

Logo on the cork: FP Tasted from magnum – Dark color, normal intensity and slightly evolved. Beautiful fruity nose. Reduction notes with a touch of coffee, smoke, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Silky palate, very fruity, tasty, melting and pleasant. Lovely fine wine, but lacking depth.

For a Saint-Estèphe this is surprisingly supple at this stage. The density is all in the exotic fruit, while the tannins are more of a background. That suggests this is a wine that will develop relatively fast, but it is going to give great pleasure along the way.