Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Welcoming Champagne in courtyard...no notes. — 6 years ago

Katyna M Nazelrod

9.7

Drank today with hubby. Detect a bit of grapefruit in the bubbles — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

On the nose, rich, ripe, candied fruits of; blackberries, blueberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, vegetal notes, black licorice, light black pepper and red fresh florals. On the palate, dry medium soft tannins. Ripe fruits of; blueberries, blackberries, black currants, black raspberries & raspberries. The core flavor of anise, wood shavings, leathery, mint, eucalyptus, green pepper, tobacco, dark roasted coffee and long beautifully rich finish with perfect acidity. Photos of their courtyard and barrel room. Big thank you to Tobias for his great hospitality, time, knowledge and great tasting. — 8 years ago

Marilyn Elledge

9.3

12/21/16 @ Marriott Courtyard in Phoenix with Tom, Andrew & Mama. Best red I've had in awhile. — 8 years ago

Peter Blandino

9.5

Super nice. Bright, but full bodied. Enjoyed on a brisk cool early spring evening. We had a fire going and say in the courtyard. — 9 years ago

with Cindy

Megan Murray

9.0

After a long day of walking we relaxed in a pretty courtyard with this wine. — 10 years ago

Sean Trulby

9.9

Creamy and smooth! ClubW in the courtyard with Ryan and Jess — 10 years ago

Barry Walsh

9.4

Drinking in a courtyard in Bordeaux. Absolutely delicious!! — 10 years ago

Tim MacMillan

9.8

Enjoying this frugal Provence at our tiny hotel courtyard in Paris. — 11 years ago

Lindsey Barrett

9.8

Light merlot we enjoyed in the courtyard at La Playa in Carmel — 12 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, Meyer lemon, honey notes, pineapple, green apple flesh with no skin, lime, melon, notes of orange citrus, spring flowers & jasmine

The body is light, slightly waxy, lemon, honeycomb, light green & red apple without skin, tropical melons, pineapple, yellow lilies and spring flowers. Beautiful round acidy. Great texture, length and understated polished finish.

Photos of; an arial view of the Cliff Lede tasting room and Estate vineyards, artwork for sale in their tasting room by former vocalist of Jefferson Airplane Grace Slick turned artist (Jerry Garcia), two hearts that decorate the tasting room courtyard and the outside terrace at Cliff Lede. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Is there any meal better than steak (Ribeye) and well aged Claret? This is another 1991 Bordeaux experiment of mine. 1991 was a vintage with horrible frosts and a less than favorable growing season, right? A vintage critically panned. This is my 3rd recent 91 from a good producer. And again, it didn’t disappoint. Like 97 and 07, it’s better with the right bottle age than young. Magic evolution happened in the bottle way down the road. This 91 is in great form with a fair amount of life ahead of it. On the nose; a little ripe fruit funk, wonderful dark & lighter red cassis, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries, vanilla, light cinnamon, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs and fresh & dry red flowers. The body/palate is medium, round, ripe & still fresh. The tannins nearly completely resolved. Ripe, floral fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries & half cooked rhubarb. Vanilla, light cinnamon, touch of clove & nutmeg, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs, a little band-aid and fresh & dry red flowers. The acidity drips over the palate and the long, well balanced, still structured, nice tension, good length finish lasts over a minute. Again, love & appreciate the 12.5% alcohol. What a beauty with and without the steak. Next time you’re in your fine wine retail shop and see a quality producers 91 that’s been well stored, buy it and have it with a Ribeye. Photos of; their exotic Estate, Chateau interior, newer barrel room and their vines as viewed from the front of the Chateau that are across the road. Producer notes and history...Cos d’Estournel has a long distinguished history in the St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding in 1811. It did not take long before Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In those early days, Cos d’Estournel did not sell through Negociants. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Bordeaux Chateaux’s to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. If you’re at the property, the statue on the bench in the front courtyard is of the founder, Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The Estate was then purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux using the negociant system. If the Chateau was not selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification. Imagine that! So, it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family owners of the neighboring Estate of Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. This purchase was the beginning of the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. Decades later, the grandchildren of Fernand Ginestet, Jean-Marie Prats, Yves Prats and Bruno Prats took over ownership and management of Cos d’Estournel. In 1995, Bruno Prats sold the property to the Merlaut family, owners of the Taillan Group. The next era in the development of Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Cos d’Estournel was bought by the industrious and wealthy Michel Reybier, who earned his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things further improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making at that time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in not only the wine making facilities and cellars, but in parts of the Chateau as well. While the wine making facilities are completely modern with their 100% gravity design, the outward appearance retained the original design and feeling that has always been a part of Cos d’Estournel. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH (Pichon Baron). Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the Estate. What makes the remodel special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity and allow for the expression of their terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. Perhaps, the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and the racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a “pumpless pump over.” The 91 hectare vineyard of Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located extremely close to the border between Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe. The Estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. They also make a second wine called Pagodes de Cos. This is a great wine to buy in very good vintages. Especially, if your budget prohibits you from purchasing their first wine. — 8 years ago

D C

9.5

Lovely red fruit salad. Great chilled lounging in a Hacienda Courtyard. — 10 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.7

Fresh trout on the hibachi and the best of Bouzy Rose! Composed of 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, with Bouzy Rouge from a tiny Clos within the courtyard of the family home. This is rose for the graduate; dry, mineral and haunted by incredibly delicate and nuanced red fruit. — 10 years ago

with Cleora

Lisa Lim

9.1

The Courtyard, Beijing — 12 years ago

Buffie Baldwin

9.2

Dry, citrus taste, smooth. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

On the nose, ripe, ruby fruits of; dark cherries, black raspberries, blackberries and raspberries on the edges. Black licorice, sweet tarry notes, cinnamon, vanilla, some clove, dark rich soils, suede leather, dark fruit cola, light crushed rocks, nice spice and dark deep violets.

On the palate, the body is lush & full. The tannins are firm, meaty, tarry and sticky. Ruby, ripe; dark cherries, black raspberries, blackberries, cherries & strawberries as it opens up with raspberries on the edges. Black licorice, sweet tarry notes, cinnamon, vanilla, some clove, dark rich soils, suede leather, dark fruit cola, light crushed rocks, heavy grippy dark minerals, nice dark spice and dark deep violets. The round acidity is beautiful. The rich, ruby ripe, lush, elegant finish is divine.

Photos of, Bodega Terrazas de Los Andes. All new French oak barrels waiting for the 2018 vintage. Landscaping around the courtyard and their shinny inverted cone shaped stainless steel tanks.
— 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

This wine is made from assortment of 30 different growers of grapes. Barreled in 50-50 Americans & French oak. On the nose, blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, dry cherries, strawberry preserves, very soft spice, dark cola, black licorice and dry & fresh dark florals. On the palate, dry dark currants, blackberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, anise, tarry notes, black licorice, black cherry cola, rhubarb, powdery dry tannins, crushed rocks, big red florals, warm spice, nutmeg, light clove, good acidity, bright leaner, ripe fruits with a consistent finish that lasts. Old wood baskets presses featured in the photo and the courtyard at Rockford. — 8 years ago

Edmond Bordelon

9.2

Made in a true French tradition of 'wine goes with food'. It's one of those subtle Sonoma wines that does not try to overpower everything. While it can stand on its own, it is quite diverse for pairing with Coq au Vin, pork tenderloin and of course, a big juicy porterhouse. We love going to Jordan's winery because it is like stepping off at the local chateaux in France, with the symmetry of the chestnut trees lining the courtyard and the neoclassical architecture. The wine reflects these surroundings in its balance, as well. — 9 years ago

with Lauren, Katherine and 1 other

Jimmy Hayes

Estate Director Mayacamas Vineyard

9.6

First time. Really delicious. Open, full and generous but still tense and focused. Great Syrah. Surely the best wine consumed in the Courtyard Marriot that day.. #twe16 — 9 years ago

with Carlo and Nat

Dave Milz

9.0

Nice and well-balanced red. — 10 years ago

Sally Norcross Webb

9.9

The 2013 vintage is wonderful- drinking it with John in a courtyard filled with orange and lemon trees at Lemonokipos restaurant in Rethymno, Crete. — 10 years ago

David Conway

9.3

Champers and a movie in the courtyard. — 11 years ago

Andrew Yandell

9.6

Orange peel, bay, fennel, apricots, betadine, and peppery spice recline comfortably in a tannic courtyard — 12 years ago