Ch. Cos d'Estournel - La Goulee de Cos d'Estournel 2009

Wine Advocate #199 Feb 2012 - Robert Parker - The finest Goulee to date, the wine has an opaque purple color, a glorious nose of creme de cassis, blackberries, forest floor, and some subtle charcoal, and fabulous fruit on the attack, mid-palate and finish. The wine is opulent, even viscous, with unreal concentration and a full-bodied purity and texture. This wine simply over-delivers at every stage of the tasting experience. It is definitely a candidate to buy by the caseful and drink over the next decade or more. This is a major sleeper of the vintage. Created by Cos d’Estournel’s winemaker Jean-Guillaume Prats and proprietor Michel Reybier, this wine represents 90,000 bottles of absolutely remarkable claret made from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot that has been lavished with the same attention and care that Cos d’Estournel receives.

Tasted April 2010 - Very dark crimson. Super-sweet nose but without as much tarriness as in some previous vintages. Very much better managed tannins and an attractive kick of spice. Pretty impressive – like so many AC Médoc wines. Just a little teensy bit of dryness on the finish but very flattering. Real frfeshness here. The best Goulée ever compensates a little for a rather disappointing Cos.

Issue June 30, 2012 - A juicy, direct, fruit-driven style, with a light toasty frame and a crowd-pleasing core of raspberry, cassis and lightly singed spice notes. Drink now through 2014. 5,415 cases made. –JM

May/June 2010 by Ian d'Agata - Bright medium ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cassis and licorice. Dense, layered and sweet, with a lush texture and noteworthy concentration to the slightly high-toned flavors of blackberry, cassis and licorice pastille. Harmonious acidity energizes the mid-palate and extends the rising finish, which features firm but ripe tannins and a saline nuance. The best vintage yet for this top value made under the direction of Jean-Guillaume Prats and Michel Reybier, respectively the manager and owner of Cos d'Estournel.

Barrel sample. Soft, fleshy and fruity, with tannins that are very ripe. The fruit has blackberry juice, sweet with an edge of licorice. — R.V. (8/9/2010)

Tasted Nov 2011 - Tasted at Cos d-Estournel. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The Goulee 2009 is certainly packed full of plummy, dark berried fruits on the nose: quite opulent and floral. The palate has a very chalky entry with a dry backbone. Really quite masculine with touches of green pepper and tar. It is a little brusque towards the finish. The most -Saint Estephe- Goulee that I have tasted.