Archive Releases

4 June 2010

The controversial Château Cos d'Estournel have released their second wine, Les Pagodes de Cos @ £400.00 IB per case. Jean-Guillaume Prats isn't afraid to release his wines with robust price-tags however, he's way off-bat here.

Robert Parker awards 91-94* "The 2009 Les Pagodes de Cos is also a remarkable offering. Composed of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, it tips the scales at 14.5% alcohol, and is better than most Cos d'Estournel vintages produced in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It is a full-bodied, opulently concentrated wine of amazing richness, density, and intensity. As with the grand vin, the harvest began on September 26 and finished on October 10. This wine possesses this vintage's classic characteristics of enormous power, massive fruit, and extraordinary freshness and precision - largely unprecedented, particularly for Cabernet-based wines in the Medoc"

There's no hiding the fact that I'm not a fan of the 2009 Cos d'Estournel although, I did prefer Les Pagodes de Cos over the Grand Vin. However, it's still not really my cup of tea and I certainly side with Neal Martin 87-89 & Jancis Robinson 15.5 scores... Put simply, it's OK but it's not worth £400.00 per case!

Also out this morning is Château Gruaud Larose second wine, Sarget de Gruaud Larose which is available at a respectable price of £135.00 IB per case or £125.00 if 2 or more cases are purchased. The Grand Vin is very, very good this year and their second wine offers more affordable, early drinking.

We are delighted to offer and highly recommend the third-growth property, Château Giscours @ £420.00 IB per case, which I think is a fabulous wine at a sensible price...

James Suckling awards 92-95 "Subtle and pretty on the nose, with blueberry, blackberry and hints of flowers. Full and very fine, showing a beautiful texture of polished tannins. Wonderfully long and balanced. 53 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 7 percent Cabernet Franc, and the rest is Merlot"

Decanter.com awards a whopping 18 points "Fine black red, very expressive black fruits with the elegant lift from Cabernet, fine density of fruit, very good natural middle sweetness and lots of depth and vineyard character, a very good wine"

Neal Martin awards 91-93 "Tasted at the chateau, at a negociant and at the Margaux UGC. The harvest began on 22nd September with the Merlots and finished on 13th October for some parcels of the Cabernet, a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 40% Merlot using 50% new oak from seven suppliers. This is taut on the nose, very tight, introspective and slightly earthy. The palate is full-bodied with grainy tannins, deep broody dark berried fruits, touches of coca and a hint of cracked black pepper. Quite toasty towards the finish, moderate length, just a little attenuated towards the finish although the sample at the UGC was much more "strident", containing the chutzpah that it was missing before. Like the du Tertre, I think this will show better in a couple of months. The second sample at the negociant was a better sample with some pleasant coffee notes on the aftertaste. Difficult to discern at the moment but I remain optimistic"

Curiously, Robert Parker awards 91-93* which seems to contradict his tasting note! "This is the finest Giscours I have tasted in my professional career. Succulent and sexy with an inky/purple color, it offers sweet aromas of subtle barbecue smoke, graphite, blackberries, blueberries, and spring flowers. The tannins are remarkably sweet, substantial, and well-integrated, and the wine is full-bodied as well as voluptuously textured. It is a head-turning, exuberant, flashy effort that should drink well for 20-25 years. Bravo!"