1990 Cos d'Estournel
By Chateau Cos d'Estournel
1990 Cos d'Estournel from Chateau Cos d'Estournel, St-Estephe, Bordeaux
In the annals of Bordeaux's illustrious tapestry, few vintages shine as brightly as the 1990. It is a year celebrated for the profound balance and structure of its wines, and the 1990 Cos d'Estournel from Chateau Cos d'Estournel stands as a testament to this venerated period.
Exquisite Harmony: The 1990 Vintage
The 1990 vintage in Bordeaux was marked by climatic generosity, providing an ample canvas for Chateau Cos d'Estournel to craft a wine of extraordinary poise. The harmonious interplay of ripe fruit, refined tannins, and judicious oak maturation in the 1990 Cos d'Estournel is spellbinding. Its bouquet unfurls with an orchestration of blackcurrant, cigar box, and truffle, weaving a narrative of complexity in each glass.
An Indomitable Spirit: Investment Potential Realised
The legacy of the 1990 Cos d'Estournel extends beyond mere sensory delight; it represents an indomitable spirit within the fine wine investment arena. Holding steady in value and desirability, this exemplar from Chateau Cos d'Estournel showcases what judicious collectors recognise—the intertwined nature of quality and longevity.
The profundity of the palate persists, with layers of dark cherries and subtle hints of graphite illustrating the majestic aura derived from St-Estephe's cherished terroir. Thirty years on, and the tannins remain sumptuously integrated, signposting a wine that narrates the wisdom of time spent well.
To encounter the 1990 Cos d'Estournel is to partake in the history that has sculpted Bordeaux's stature. Each sip offers a window into the past—a tapestry woven with precision under Bordeaux's timeless sky. It's a cerebral experience, one where every contemplative taste divulges a new chapter from its storied provenance.
In essence, this wine encapsulates not only a sense of place but also a fragment of time, captured and preserved within each bottle. The 1990 vintage from Chateau Cos d'Estournel is indeed one such treasure—an offering that graciously bears its age as both a mantle and a mirror into the soul of St-Estephe.
Market price (GBP)
£2,430.00
12x75cl
Highest score
95
POP score
162
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted at the Cos d'Estournel dinner at St. John. This has always been such an impressive wine, but it has also always been a Cos that is determined to have a long life, hence after 19-years it remains far more backward and tannic than its contemporaries. It has a deep garnet core, broody and tight, touches of black olive, chimney soot, dusty bureau and scorched earth. Very well defined. The palate is full-bodied with a dense, robust structure, a firm tannic frame that will see this comfortable through 30+ years. Masculine, a clenched fist of a wine and yet there is undoubtedly great balance and focus with notes of blackberry and pain grille. Powerful and broad-shouldered on the finish, it opens wonderfully in the glass. Approaching maturity, you could pop this now but I'd prefer to wait another 2-3 years. Drink 2012-2030+ Tasted March 2009.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Nov 2009
Not as concentrated as the 1982, or as most of the vintages made since 2001, the 1990 Cos has reached full maturity. It exhibits sweet berry fruit intermixed with spice box, herbs, and spring flowers. Expansive, round, and sensual, with wonderful purity as well as lushness, this irresistible wine can be enjoyed over the next 6-10 years. Release price: ($350.00/case)
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 29 June 2009