Château Cos d'Estournel Saint Estephe 1990

Château Cos d’Estournel Saint-Estèphe 1990: A Bordeaux classic

The Château Cos d’Estournel Saint-Estèphe 1990 is a wine of legendary renown and is regarded as one of the greatest vintages this renowned estate has ever produced. Bruno Prats, who was managing the estate at the time of the harvest, described it as the finest wine he had ever made. Alongside the 1982, 1986 and 1953 vintages, it ranks amongst the four finest Cos d’Estournels of the post-war era.

The 1990 vintage was characterised by almost perfect weather conditions. The result was a wine that was better structured than the 1989 and, at the same time, more delicate than the 1988 – with a remarkable harmony between Merlot (around 40 per cent of the cuvée) and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was vinified traditionally and aged in 90 per cent new oak.

The tasting notes paint a picture of a wine that has long since left its youth behind and is now in a phase of perfect maturity. The colour is a medium ruby-garnet with a characteristic orange rim. On the nose, a delicate bouquet unfolds, featuring dark berry jam, herbal spice, hints of precious wood and nuances of orange zest. On the palate, it presents powerful, very pronounced tannins, underpinned by a pleasant sweetness from the extract and an elegant finish.

International critics were unanimous: Robert Parker awarded it 95 points and described it as a superbly concentrated wine with toasted herbs, sweet, jammy black fruit and remarkable opulence. Wine Spectator also awarded it 95 points, describing it as “open, flattering and irresistible”. Falstaff magazine awarded 94 points and emphasised that this Bordeaux had been well worth the wait.

A particularly poetic tasting note describes the wine as ‘a fist in a velvet glove’ – with dark berries, bitter orange, a silky texture and great tension. Other tasters highlight notes of cassis, graphite and tobacco, as well as the perfect balance between lush fruit and the masculine structure of a great Saint-Estèphe.

For lovers of great Bordeaux wines, this 1990 Cos d’Estournel offers a rare opportunity to experience a wine that bears the hallmark of one of the most distinguished winemaking families and has retained remarkable vitality and elegance after more than three decades of ageing in the bottle. It is currently at its peak and will continue to mature for a further 15 to 20 years.