I haven't opened any of my classified Bordeaux since release and I
wandered around the cellar a long time before deciding to open a
bottle of the 2000 Cos D' Estournel with dinner last night of grilled
hanger steak. The wine was fairly dark purple in the glass showing no
signs of age. The nose was typically young Bordeaux with tight black
fruit and lead pencil notes with just a whiff of Brett but not much
else to begin with. I was surprised by how approachable the wine was
with plenty of cassis, black currant, ripe blackberry and espresso. I
was surprised by the lack of overt oak or smoke however there was a
slight touch of vanilla and an almost salty minerality and a faint
herbal bitterness. The tannins were quite fine and smooth and there
was a nice fresh acidity running through the wine. I think that the
wine will continue to improve over the next 5-10 years depending on
cellar conditions but I don't think that this is a 30 year wine. "A"