2005 Cos d'Estournel is intense, with a deep crimson colour. The nose presents extraordinary aromas of spices and chocolate, and beautifully expressed fruit. Rich and dense. Drink this great Saint-Estephe between 2012 and 2040. 2005 will be remembered as a year with very low rainfall and without excessively high temperatures. The harvests took place in magnificent weather. The grapes were healthy and thoroughly ripe, and the promise of the vineyard was fulfilled in the vats.
Parker : 98 / 100
J. Robinson : 17.5+ / 20
Wine Advocate-Parker :
The 2005 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet colored, it is still a little closed and youthfully shy. With coaxing, the nose is just beginning to offer glimpses at vivacious kirsch, red roses, violets, licorice and mocha scents over a crème de cassis, blackberry pie and chocolate-covered cherry core with wafts of chargrill, mossy bark and truffles. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully complex in the mouth, the palate is just beginning to reveal the true potential of this wine, with tightly wound layers of perfumed black fruits and earthy notions bound by a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and finishing with epic persistence. This still needs 5-6 years, but I love how this beauty is shaping up!!
