Morgan Diamant

9.1

Coffee, red cherry, with floral (violet) notes throughout. Hint of black pepper and French vanilla. Nice acidity and well balanced throughout. Silky smooth tannins. — 8 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. — 9 years ago

Max

8.9

Picked by my Personal Delectable concierge. Perfect for the occasion. Paired well with a succulent roast duck. Crisp and fruity. — 11 years ago

Tim Herrmann

9.7

Is this the best cab I've ever tasted? Intensity, balance, and (this is my personal taste) darkness, it's all there. This is from their west-facing vineyard and is full of chocolate and coffee and blue fruits; their east-facing vineyard was full of orange zest and strawberries and raspberries and pine, and was just as good. Really cool tasting experience to compare terroirs on Howell mountain. — 12 years ago

CS

Sales Amy Atwood Imports

9.3

Jou Jou Vin 2011 Mossik Cabernet Franc from White Rock Vineyard, Napa Valley. It's always difficult when tasting friends wines to remain objective, and while I want to shout this wine from the hilltops (Radio-Coteau style!) I also want to be I also aspire to eliminate personal biases - positive or negative. Jou Jou you should know your wine received much conversation towards a mostly positive frame. The touch of brettanomyces was dually noted, there were comments on carbonic maceration, but I found balance throughout. I jested about the wine being topped with Baudry La Croix Boissée but the fact is, this wine has a strain of brett that works well with the fruit. The brett adds a spicy, wet earth, or mulchy wet tobacco leaf component that lends itself to wines of Chinon or Bordeaux. Is that replicable? Future vintages will tell. Will it grow in bottle? I plan to drink many more for my own recognizance. First day had some notes of carbonic maceration and brighter red fruits, along with that leafy Cab Franc character, fine dense tannins and moderate acidity with a slight sour note likely a proponent of brett. Day 2: I'll be damned. This is some damn good shit. It's worth that $250 dollar price tag! ;) But truly, the leaf/mulch quality is intact and integral, the darker berry fruits come out but there is still a pleasant sour cherry mid-palate that combines with the albeit softer yet still dense/fine mouth filling tannins. I realize part of the reason this wine was the talk of the blind tasting was that the brett, while in balance, set it apart from every other wine tasted. It was unique, it spoke of an older world style, it crept up in conversation because it lent something else to talk about. Kudos Jou Jou. The wine was made from 12 year old CF vines farmed organically (uncertified) grown in a layer of white volcanic ash. Grapes are fermented WC with ambient yeast in open top macro-bins, gently foot tread, native ML, pressed dry into 75% neutral FO and 25% Stainless Steel. 50 ppm SO2 added post ML, 10-15ppm added before bottling, racked once to bottle in June 2012. 25 cases produced. Good luck finding some! — 13 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Had another bottle, aged well. A neighbor of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes is positioned on the same bank. The name derives from the friars, known as ";Les Carmes"; who owned the property between the 16th & 18th century. This estate has been under new ownership since 2010. Predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak, (33% new). Red fruit and currants on the nose. Raspberry and plum flavors fine tannins and lingering finish ending with mineral tones. Nice! — 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

2012 CIRQ Estate Treehouse Pinot Noir. Michael Browne’s (of Kosta Browne) personal project which as I understand is an homage to the Summers he spent at a ‘Circus Camp’ in his youth. Treehouse is an amazing hilltop (stunning elevation) property in west Sonoma County with red, iron-rich soil surrounded by (say what?) coastal cypress trees. I had the pleasure of visiting, hosted by Damon Wong, and it's an amazing Vineyard. Unlike anything else I've ever seen. I can understand Michael's fascination with it. The wine: On the nose, red fruits, cedarbox, with notes of rhubarb and fennel. On the palate, pomegranate, kirsch, black tea, spices, roasted herbs along with hints of black truffles and white pepper. Beautiful texture. Lengthy finish. Classic expression of Pinot Noir. If I had to distinguish it from Kosta Browne from a flavor-perspective, I would say higher acidity and a bit of tannin give it a quality more accustom to Grand Cru Burgundy which is not bad company. I'm a fan. Congrats to Michael as well as his partner in this project, my friend Kenny Rochford, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. — 9 years ago

Kieran Roberts

9.1

Excellent depth of palate, robust fruit and loads of white pepper. — 9 years ago

Tyler Durham

9.5

Amazing family and cellar tour. A wine extremely well rated by Decanter, Wine Spectator and Parker all for good reason. Breathes of the live oaks and spices that are found on the property. — 10 years ago

with Anne

Glen Digwood

9.5

Personal favorite. Never disappoints. Bold with dark fruit. — 11 years ago

Steve Bachmann

9.6

One of the least expensive ($115) in a 7 wine line-up of 2007 CDPs, it finished 3rd in personal and group ranking in blind tasting. Had this wine in other vintages too and always enjoyable. — 11 years ago

Matt Baker

10

Z-Best!!! My personal fav of all time!!!! — 11 years ago

Pedro Rusk

Wine Educator Kendall Jackson

9.5

Out of mag from my personal stash — 12 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Superb €38 now £65 personal fav from St Em in top year 👍 w/ fab QPR & a soft spot for me as I had this same vintage from the barrel 😍 93 going 95-96

🍇 71% Merlot & 29% Cab F

🍷Opaque ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Chocolate coated black cherry, berry & plum through smokey oak, liquorice & wet crushed mineral rock w/ violets

👄 Med+ creamy silky mocha dark berry plum bang w/ liquorice & minerals

🎯 Long mocha berry plum slight dry mineral linger purple teether — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It's just one of the best evening starters unless your are going to bust out; Krug Rosé, vintage Krug & Salon or like's. The fruits are bright, delicious and leaner in style. Black cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, cherries, tangerine & watermelon near the rhine. Delicate, powdery chalkiness with a fine and slightly sharp edge that I love, baguette, beautiful saline & minerality. Fresh, crisp acidity and a delightful finish with long staying power. Photos of their beautifully manicured property, A frame racks waiting to be riddled, the grape press after first pressing and the best days in the vineyard...harvesting! Normally, I'm regularly a 9.3, but tonight it's showing me a little more. — 9 years ago

Shay A

9.5

I got to have some of the '12 vintage about a month or two ago and it was my first time having Seña. I was so impressed that I went searching for whatever I could find. Local wine shop here stopped selling it. Then, to my lovely surprise, I see @Martin G Rivard enjoying a bottle a few weeks ago. He so graciously sent me some in exchange for some personal recommendations from me, and I'm so excited to say that the '13 is even better than the '12. This wine is absolutely fantastic. Everything from the nose, to the structure and body feels so well aligned. Medley berries on the nose, gorgeous texture, and the taste of plums, spice and small bit of cocoa just flat out works. Buy up what you can, but please tell me where you find it before it's all gone! Thank you again, Martin! I'm excited to get introduced to Beau Vigne on my trip to Napa in a few weeks after you sent over a bottle of their Chardonnay! — 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.6

Mia Klein knocked this out of the park!
#howellmountain fruit at its best, a superb expression of terroir in Napa which to me is usually oversold (and over-oaked). #miaklein #cimarossa #rivadiponente
Vivid red currants, cassis, a touch of mint and graphite, the palate is juicy, loaded with perfect balance, acidity and ripe, firm tannins that have started to mellow. This is from the western facing terraced slope of the property and was my favorite of the tasting way back in 2012. The cooler effect of a western exposure seems perfect in this vintage. — 10 years ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.2

Typically "Napa cult" that should please all fans of the Bob-style (Foley and Parker).
Well-chilled I can appreciate it but served at room temperature it has "too much of everything" for my personal preference.
A solid wine nonetheless. — 11 years ago

with Kurt-Inge

Michael Hildbold

9.5

Almost Pinot-like Grenache. Lovely effort from this Rayas-owned property. — 12 years ago

with Kathy

Kristin Taylor

8.9

Love this one. It's easy for a date night, just something to unwind with. A personal favorite for the boyfriend and I. — 12 years ago