2009 Goulee by Cos d'Estournel

"This is a major sleeper of the vintage."
Several decades back, the Bordelaise were puzzled by the rise in popularity of New World Cabernets such as those from Margaret River and the Napa Valley. These wines were not only gaining market share but also redefining what was possible to achieve with the varietal.

Although it took many French estates some time to react, the most daring took it as a sign to evolve or risk falling by the wayside.This led to the birth of cuvees such as "Goulee by cos d'Estournel", a contemporary styled wine made with the benefit of tradition. While the same care is applied as for Cos d'Estournel ($699), Goulee cannot realistically be seen as an introduction to the Grand Vin. Jean Guillaume Prats (now heading the New World branch of Moet Hennessy) and his team chose the site, a gravelly hill that was once an island of the Gironde estuary, specifically to produce fruit forward reds in a contrasting and revolutionary move for the region. The results are a definite show of their skills and foresight. The 2009 Goulee is a blend of 80% Cabernets and 20% Merlot.

Outstanding colour – saturated black purple with deep dark purple crimson red hue. The nose offers up top notes of cassis and blackcurrant followed by some earth, cedar and spice. Loaded with intense berry aromas with a luscious mouthfeel that keeps bluffing critics and reviewers, this full bodied and ripe expression delivers almost succulent flavours of ripe blackcurrant and dark to black cherry followed by some earth, cedar and spice. Dry firmish tannin structure requires time to fully integrate. Long aftertaste of blackcurrant, black cherry, earthy cedar and spice.
Still a relative infant, this wine will reward cellaring for 8-10 years (2021-2023).
Alc 14.5%

"...The finest Goulee to date, the wine has an opaque purple color, a glorious nose of creme de cassis, blackberries, forest floor, and some subtle charcoal, and fabulous fruit on the attack, mid-palate and finish. The wine is opulent, even viscous, with unreal concentration and a full-bodied purity and texture. This wine simply over-delivers at every stage of the tasting experience. It is definitely a candidate to buy by the caseful and drink over the next decade or more. This is a major sleeper of the vintage."
92 points
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate Feb 2012

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