Tasting Notes

WA92

Tasted at the property, the 1986 Cos d`Estournel, which was aged in 90% new oak and is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, is a vintage that I had not tasted for a number of years. It has a healthy color, quite deep with just a thin bricking on the rim. The nose is quite intense, quite voluptuous for a 1986, perhaps blind I might have mistaken it for a 1985. Red plum, licorice and graphite, there is something rounded and sensual about this 1986—although it does not have the complexity of the greatest vintages of Cos d`Estournel. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, savory and almost meaty on the mouth, nicely balanced and then...BAM! There`s a real spicy, black pepper kick on the finish originating from the Cabernet Sauvignon. It does not possess the structure or persistence of the greatest 1986s, rather a Claret that I know would just shine and complement dishes at the dinner table. Drinking perfectly now, this Cos d`Estournel has another 15-20 years to offer. Tasted July 2016.

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