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Château Cos d'Estournel Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2003 (1500ml)
The prodigious, fantastic 2003 Cos d'Estournel is a candidate for "wine of the vintage." A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon (unusually high for this chateau), 30% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, 17,500 cases were produced from low yields. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by a compelling perfume of black fruits, subtle smoke, pain grille, incense, and flowers. With extraordinary richness, full body, and remarkable freshness, elegance, and persistence, this is one of the finest wines ever made by this estate. The good news is that it will be drinkable at a young age yet evolve for three decades or more. Kudos to winemaker Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier. Robert Parker
Ratings on Delectable
Daron Watson 
a subtly sumptuous nose w gorgeous array of fruits ~ great length w soft dusty tannins
a subtly sumptuous nose w gorgeous array of fruits ~ great length w soft dusty tannins
9.6
Martin G Rivard
Now we are talking!!! Bordeaux nose, Sattler leather, dark fruit, smoke, floral, deep dark and delicious!
Now we are talking!!! Bordeaux nose, Sattler leather, dark fruit, smoke, floral, deep dark and delicious!
9.3
Bob McDonald
Mid crimson with a garnet rim. Lovely aromas of Tobacco and dried leaf. Beautiful balance on the palate with M intensity. Great effort for a difficult hot vintage. Great wine given the conditions. No need for further cellaring. As good as you could expect from a 15 year old 2nd growth in a hot vintage.
Mid crimson with a garnet rim. Lovely aromas of Tobacco and dried leaf. Beautiful balance on the palate with M intensity. Great effort for a difficult hot vintage. Great wine given the conditions. No need for further cellaring. As good as you could expect from a 15 year old 2nd growth in a hot vintage.
9.3
Rob B
Little wine party at home
Little wine party at home
9.2
Alex Lallos
Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant
Still young but finally taking on some tertiary character. A little simple to start but then after an hour it gained in weight and all the cool exotic spice comes out. I had this wine in 2008 when it was a baby, full of new oak and fresh blue fruits. Now she’s a different beast and still amazing.
Still young but finally taking on some tertiary character. A little simple to start but then after an hour it gained in weight and all the cool exotic spice comes out. I had this wine in 2008 when it was a baby, full of new oak and fresh blue fruits. Now she’s a different beast and still amazing.
9.5Bob McDonald
Decided to continue drinking my 2003 Bordeaux from this hot year. This was in excellent condition. Rich crimson with a garnet edge. Aromatics of dry plum and cassis with pronounced cedar box - like the aromas you get from pulling out a chest of drawers in an antique shop. All in all obviously left bank Bordeaux. Medium weight mellifluous palate with perfect balance finishing with sandy fine tannins. Julia Harding’s drinking window of 2010 to 2018 proved to be conservative. Wonderful claret.
Decided to continue drinking my 2003 Bordeaux from this hot year. This was in excellent condition. Rich crimson with a garnet edge. Aromatics of dry plum and cassis with pronounced cedar box - like the aromas you get from pulling out a chest of drawers in an antique shop. All in all obviously left bank Bordeaux. Medium weight mellifluous palate with perfect balance finishing with sandy fine tannins. Julia Harding’s drinking window of 2010 to 2018 proved to be conservative. Wonderful claret.
9.5
Greg Gregory
PBFW 2016 Mentor Dinner. Double Mag
PBFW 2016 Mentor Dinner. Double Mag
9.3
Tom Kobylarz
The biggest and most full bodied wine of the evening was the Cos d'Estournel. From the hot 2003 vintage this also made it the youngest red of the evening. Big, irony, camp fire embers, black currants and cassis, toasty and well integrated oak buffer the wine. Time has peeled back some of that concentration revealing the heat that stuck out to me as the one big thing out of place. In the context of the vintage this might be OK but it turned me off. Good, but disappointing especially considering how critics went out of their way to speak of its lack of signs of heat.
The biggest and most full bodied wine of the evening was the Cos d'Estournel. From the hot 2003 vintage this also made it the youngest red of the evening. Big, irony, camp fire embers, black currants and cassis, toasty and well integrated oak buffer the wine. Time has peeled back some of that concentration revealing the heat that stuck out to me as the one big thing out of place. In the context of the vintage this might be OK but it turned me off. Good, but disappointing especially considering how critics went out of their way to speak of its lack of signs of heat.
8.9
Mike Smith
Owner/Winemaker Myriad Cellars
2003 is a great vintage. Time will prove it
2003 is a great vintage. Time will prove it
9.8Craig Haserot
Founder and Proprietor Sojourn Cellars
Wow this is good. In a great space now and for a while.
Wow this is good. In a great space now and for a while.
9.4
See all reviews and ratings on Delectable WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.