Cos'd Estournel St. Estephe, 2003, 750ML

Feature

Tasting Note

Two terrific efforts from this vintage, the 2003 Cos d’Estournel (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc) remains one of the superstars of the vintage. It offers an opaque ruby/purple hue as well as notes of incense, camphor, licorice, creme de cassis and graphite. Full-bodied, opulent, incredibly fresh and well-delineated, it can be consumed now and over the next decade. Kudos to the team at Cos d’Estournel.

Winemaking

• Biodynamics
• Long and gentle pneumatic pressing, 24-hour decantation then settling, casking. Alcoholic fermentation in oak barrels, 18% of which are new (max. 1/2 Vosges, min. 1/2 Allier).
• Aging: after 12 months in barrels, the wine is aged for 6 months in vats where it is prepared for bottling. Homeopathic fining and very light filtration if necessary.

Winery

The Leflaive family have been Burgundy producers for many decades but, in 1984, Olivier Leflaive set up his merchant house producing wines under his own label from his own vineyards in Puligny-Montrachet. To establish his estate, he purchased 12 hectares of land in prestigious appellations including village Meursault to the Grands Crus of Montrachet and Criots-Batard-Montrachet.

Today, Olivier Leflaive controls all the winemaking and the ageing of the wines. Each vintage benefits from an individual approach and guarantees the authenticity of each appellation.