2003 Cos d'Estournel Bordeaux Blend

Bordeaux Blend - 1.5L
$459.00
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REVIEWS

JS 98 JL 96 NM 96 WE 95 WA 93 VN 93 WS 93 DC 92
JS 98

jamessuckling.com, October 2016

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.
JL 96

TheWineCellarInsider.com, July 2023

Another stellar showing for this beauty. Roses, cigar box, black cherries, and spice open the perfume. The palate, is lush, opulent, fresh, and long, with layers of flamboyant, perfectly ripe, dark, red fruits. Popped and...
NM 96

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, May 2013

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's "10-Year On" tasting in London. The Cos d'Estournel 2003 has a more flamboyant, sumptuous bouquet compared to the Montrose with luscious redcurrant, raspberry, vanilla and graphite scents that...
WE 95

Wine Enthusiast, May 2006

With its aromas of new wood, spice and black fruits, this promises from the start to be a powerful, polished wine. It is dense, very ripe (from the high percentage of Merlot in the blend), but still packed with tannins...
WA 93

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, December 2018

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...
VN 93

Vinous, August 2023

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...
WS 93

Wine Spectator, February 2018

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...
DC 92

Decanter, July 2018

Excellent quality and surprisingly fresh given the vintage, this wine is clearly ready to drink now, however there’s no rush to drink this urgently - one of the key markers of a great Bordeaux wine is that, even if it...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type
Red
Varietal
Bordeaux Blend
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-region
St Estephe
Vintage
2003
Size
1.5L
Percent alcohol
13.5%
Closure
Cork

The 2003 Cos d'Estournel, a Bordeaux Blend from the St Estephe sub-region of Bordeaux, France, has garnered impressive reviews from professional critics, solidifying its reputation as a robust and complex red wine. Produced by Cos d'Estournel, this wine is notable for its deep garnet-brick color and a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Wine Spectator's James Molesworth awarded it 93 points, praising its "juicy edge" with flavors of dark currant, fig, and a hint of bramble. Molesworth also noted the wine's "ample tobacco, ganache, and humus notes," which contribute to its character, leading to a "long, smoldering finish." The only minor drawback mentioned was a "slightly grainy structure."

Wine Enthusiast's 95-point review from May 2006 highlights the wine's power and polish, with aromas of "new wood, spice, and black fruits." The review underscores its density and ripeness, resulting from a high percentage of Merlot, and describes the wine as "massive," combining the heat of the 2003 vintage with significant tannins typical of Saint-Estèphe.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, also giving it 93 points, described the 2003 Cos d'Estournel as having an "herbal nose" with elements of dried Mediterranean herbs and roasted meats, complemented by crème de cassis, stewed plums, and unsmoked cigars. The review emphasizes its full, rich, and concentrated palate, with earthy and savory accents and an herbal lift to the finish.

Neal Martin's Wine Journal gave the wine an exceptional 96 points, noting its "flamboyant, sumptuous bouquet" with scents of redcurrant, raspberry, vanilla, and graphite. Martin observed that the wine has become more focused over the years, showing fine definition and minerality towards the long finish.

James Suckling offered a stellar review, rating it 98 points and describing it as "dense and powerful" with "very ripe fruit yet an underlying freshness and complexity." He highlighted flavors of tobacco, dried fruit, and fresh spices such as lemon grass and Thai basil, calling it "layered and long."

Decanter, while slightly more reserved at 92 points, praised the wine's quality and surprising freshness, noting its array of "soft leather, truffle, spice, and fig." The review highlighted the wine's aging potential, aided by the clay subsoils of St-Estèphe and old Merlot vines.

Overall, the 2003 Cos d'Estournel is a well-regarded wine with a complex profile, praised for its power, richness, and aging potential.