Château Cos d'Estournel 1985

The 1985 from cask could have been a lighter version of the 1982 and 1953 vintages. Forward, with a fabulously scented bouquet of pain grille and concentrated red and black fruits (especially black cherries), it is rich, lush, long, and medium to full-bodied. Very fragrant, with gobs of sweet black fruits, minerals, and spice in both its flavors and aromatics, this is one of the most forward wines from Cos. Anticipated maturity: now-2010. Last tasted 4/97.

Has been fading for a while. It shows cedar, tobacco and earthy aromas and flavors and a rather delicate profile. Medium-bodied, with firm silky tannins and a light finish. Ready to drink. --Cabernet Challenge.

The 1985 Cos d’Estournel is another vintage that I have not encountered for a number of years. It is mature with wide bricking on the rim. The nose is not profound or intellectual, but it is engaging and involving with scents of warm gravel, terracotta-like notes that marry perfectly with the melted red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, crisp acidity and a slightly grainy texture. Savory on the palate with hints of cooked meat, sage, and black pepper toward the finish. This is simply a Saint Estèphe that I want to drink—and keep drinking. This bottle constitutes the best example of the 1985 that I have encountered. Tasted at the Cos d’Estournel vertical at the property.

Fully developed, the nose, with its spice box, tobacco leaf, forest floor, and cigar wrapper, calls your name. Medium-bodied, fresh, vibrant, round, and packed with dark currants and red plums, this is ready to go. If you have a bottle, there is no reason to hold this any longer. It will not improve.

Maturing garnet color with a clearly lighter, brick-red rim. Open bouquet: nutty notes, hints of chocolate, a certain Sangiovese affinity, raspberry seeds, pralines. On the palate, firm and peppery, more red-berry in style, wild-berry aromas, a gentle, noble bitterness. Now aging rather quickly; it was clearly better a few years ago.

86: One of the most impressive barrel samples: I’ve never had such a deep, almost black wine flow straight from cask into the glass. Already among the vintage’s favorites at the en primeur tastings. Despite the abundant tannins, the wine practically never shut down completely, which pushed me to order it again and again and to drink it often at home. In 1999 it surprised with a certain shift in its aromatics: instead of closing up its fruit to become a classic Bordeaux, it developed more of a Sangiovese affinity and, with its chocolatey touch, turned into a France/Tuscan hybrid. 03: Now gently lightening, still dense in the middle, but showing orange reflections at the rim. The bouquet shows warmth, dried fruits, and raspberry pips. On the palate, the tannins now seem to be gently drying out, which on one hand indicates it’s at a pleasurable maturity, but also prevents it from gaining further. Should one finish the remaining bottles, or does this tannic dryness hide a small reserve? (18/20). 05: A mature bottle that still carried remnants of fruit, mingling with woodland aromas. In autumn in the Stubai Valley: brightening garnet, ruby rim. A rather slender‑seeming bouquet; the nose starts with red cherries, then shows freshly roasted coffee and ripe plums—elegant, fragrant, and multi‑layered. For a Saint‑Estèphe, an astonishingly finely structured palate; again coffee notes, still very fresh, and a brilliantly matured, very elegant wine with terrific overall aromatics (18/20). Counted among the loveliest wines at Stefan Huwiler’s Cos vertical! (18/20). 10: Medium garnet, bright. Red bell pepper, pink peppercorns, mocha; the nose seems quite young. On the palate lighter than in earlier tastings, subtly sinewy; the tannins are starting to tug—still good, but now high time. Slowly heading toward 17/20. 12: At a lunch at Cos. The brilliant and significantly more concentrated 1985 stood beside it. You can now feel the sweetness from Merlot and the vegetal note from Cabernet, so the wine is dividing more and more. Do not decant and drink cool. (17/20). 15: Mature wine‑red with a brick‑red shimmer at the rim. Mature bouquet—something like washed‑rind cheese crust at first, then sweet plum compote. Soft entry on the palate and highly evolved; on the second pass it shows distinctly lactic notes, yet ultimately pleases more on the palate than on the nose. However, it had to concede to the phenomenal Meyney. At the end of its pleasure phase. (17/20). 16: An astonishingly deep color—matte, yes, but because there was quite a lot in the glass I almost saw black highlights. The nose is highly mature, with mushroomy tones. I’ve had similar experiences with the 1986 Cos in recent years. On the palate, mature, slightly thinned out; despite the brilliant color it shows an age patina. I hadn’t expected it to be so tired. Are there better‑preserved bottles? I hope so. Score for this bottle: just under 16/20. 20: When pouring, many fairly large carbon‑dioxide bubbles formed. They diminished after a few minutes, became smaller, but remained for a very long time on the surface at the rim of the glass. Quite dark color, few maturity tones. Reassuring, classic Médoc bouquet: black peppercorns, Bakelite, smoke, dark leather, prunes, and currants. The latter are found only in the aromatics; the corresponding sweetness isn’t there—which is no flaw. Above all, I was amazed how intact this 35‑year‑old Saint‑Estèphe still appeared on the nose. On the second pass, you find raspberry tendrils and dried lingonberries. On the palate, slender, noble, gallant, juicy, long, and aromatic. In the finish there’s a fine green Cabernet‑Sauvignon note. Not a flaw, but a hallmark of the vintage. A contemplative wine of the Cos era, and I still like this style today. Back then they didn’t just push to or beyond the limits in vinification; they accepted the vintages as nature presented them. It should be noted that bottles of 1985 encountered today can vary greatly. At times, some encounters with this wine dropped to as low as 16 points. Here I had a veritable renaissance in the glass. (18/20). But only for an hour. Then it grew tired. (16/20).

Sweet, spicy, velvety, plump bouquet with mocha, plum and dried fruits. Velvety, opulent, sweet and broad palate with powerful sweet aromatics, creamy structure, long, expansive finish. 18/20 drink - 2020

Dark red color with black highlights. Intense and slightly evolved. Clean, intense nose. Ripe fruit over a slightly greener backdrop. Notes of vanilla and strawberry. With aeration, clean and intense. A bit heavy. Animal and toasted notes. A hint of alcohol. Soft attack developing into a structure with a gentle tactile feel, with a grenadine-like flavor that slowly evolves into compact, fruity, and spicy tannins. The finish is a bit warm, marked by alcohol. Good persistence. It tasted better than it does today.