Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend

Happy New Year with tasting group. Solid. Nice development. Still on the tight side.

Powerful and complete. Black fruit, licorice, smoke and lots of structure. Excellent balance and integration. A pleasure with a tomahawk rib eye, or wait another 10-15 years.

From the superb 2005 vintage. Deep, powerful, masculine and layered, clearly still in its youth but wow this will be phenomenal. Already showing nicely with rich blackberries, cassis, newly bloomed violets, mocha, leather and hints of tea leaves. Finishes long and intense with plenty of grip.

Wow ~ of all the vintages in the flight this one did it for me! Sumptuous nose as well but far from subtle. Flavors run deep starting red but quickly turning black. Strong structure of the vintage still there but finally shedding a few layers of tannins revealing walls of mocha and truffle. D!G

A stunning wine. Really beautiful. Dark and intense. Drinks incredibly well now and has been for a while. I’ve had this a few times and consistently excellent. A beauty.

This is young but wonderfully seductive. Dense and lush with deep red fruit and some spice. On the palate, wood still present but the fruit is deep and sexy and succulent. In years ahead this’ll be amazing but it has huge promise.

Had 200 vintage not long ago, great cherry and slight blackcherry, great acid and well balanced tannin and oak. Just love the purity of the fruit..my WOTN. 78% cab , 19% merlot..

Decanting is a must. Great bottle.

This is lush and exotic. An expansive nose with black cherry, mocha, dark currant. Dense on the palate with lovely fruit but tightly coiled. Quite thick at the end. With time this should be spectacular.

For the fifth and sixth wines of the week, it’s time to raid the cellar. Drinking the ‘05 Cos d’Estournel next to the ‘05 Montrose. For me, aged Cos d’Estournel is the ultimate expression of Bordeaux. Big, tannic, and layered - a wine you don’t think about touching for 15 years. Perhaps because it was my first introduction to fine wine way back in the early ‘90s, Cos has always held a special place for me and, my oh my, the ‘05 does not disappoint. At 78 Cab / 19 Merlot, the wine has the highest proportion of Cabernet in recent memory and is just now entering its ideal drinking window. Deep ruby in color with a bit of bricking, the bouquet opens after a bit of air. Ripe black currants, plum, tobacco leaf, cedar box, and leather on the nose. Also noticeable are prominent hints of incense, a characteristic that is unique to Cos in the best vintages. The entry on the palate is rich and layered evolving with each sip. Layers of ripe black fruit, black tea, graphite, chocolate-covered cherries, and graphite are evident. The tannins are strong but smooth, and hold the layers together in beautiful harmony.. The finish is long and pervasive with strong notes of cassis lingering. Honestly, St Estephe doesn’t get any better than this. A wine to savor over many hours. It has a long life ahead and will improve further with proper cellaring. 2005 vintage on April 20, 2020