Chateau Cos d'Estournel 1990

Parker: First met as a double-magnum served at the chateau in June 1999 when it was monstrously backward. Tasted again at the Farr dinner in September 2004. A very deep opaque colour. The nose is very intense with black fruits, truffles and forest floor. Less flamboyant that the Cos 1982 tasted alongside. The palate is very structured, masculine, quite reserved for a 1990 with none of the "hotness" or baked fruits synonymous with the vintage. Blackberry, graphite and leather. Well-integrated tannins. This is a massive wine, certainly the biggest Cos I have tasted. This may surpass the 1982, albeit in a more classic way. Last tasted in Bordeaux April 2006. A "tour de force" Cos d'Estournel. A deep garnet core with thin light brick rim. The nose is tight but well-defined with blackberry, cigar box and damp earth emerging. Unmistakably Saint Estephe and becoming a little gamey in the glass. The palate is and always has been very masculine and tannic, dense and muscular. Blackcurrants, a little game and black truffle, a perfect example of power with finesse. This Cos has a long way to go. 95-97/100