2003 Château Cos D'Estournel | 0,375l

The 2003 Cos d'Estournel was showing wonderfully when I last tasted it at the vertical in 2018, yet five years on, I wonder whether that point in time represented its apex? Here, it has a concentrated bouquet with mulberry, stewed plums, touches of licorice and leather, slowly moving into its secondary stage. The palate is medium-bodied and has a menthol-infused entry with medicinal, Mediterranean-infused notes I did not observe before. Bold and powerful, but at 20 years of age, for the first time, I wonder whether it is losing some of its freshness and terroir expression. Tasted at the château.

- Neal Martin (04/2022)

A dense and powerful wine as always with very ripe fruit yet an underlying freshness and complexity with tobacco, dried fruit and fresh spices such as lemon grass and Thai basil. Layered and long. Drink or hold. (11/2015)

This sports a pretty juicy edge, with dark currant and fig flavors and a hint of bramble in the mix. Ample tobacco, ganache and humus notes add range and character, leading to a long, smoldering finish. The slightly grainy structure is the only blip here. -- Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2030. 15,000 cases made.

- J.M.

Harvest finished this year on September 25. The 2003 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. It has a deep garnet-brick color and quite an herbal nose with notions of dried Mediterranean herbs and roasted meats over a core of crème de cassis, stewed plums and unsmoked cigars plus a touch of new leather. Full, rich, concentrated and decadent in the mouth, the palate, though medium-bodied, packs a wallop of fruit with plenty of earthy/savory accents and an herbal lift to the finish.

- Lisa Perrotti-Brown (11/2018)