Tasting Bordeaux: Saint-Estephe Tasting Notes

Well after a month of trying to tame the tannins of these St.-Estephe wines (admittedly, many were opened well before they had time to age properly in the bottle), we’re convinced – these are some tough cookies. This was one of those situations that really confirmed that some wines absolutely require a good food match. In this case, we’ve had a bit of a grilled steak theme going! The drill went something like this: open the wine before noon and decant it. By the time we fired up the grill, made a few sides, and sat down to eat some seven or eight hours later – the wine was just beginning to smooth out. A little. By the end of the meal, and the last sip of wine, it all seemed just about right.

These are some serious Cabernets!

Our lesson? We’re going to start laying down more St.-Estephe wines now for those times when we want a big, tannic Cabernet. The prices, in Bordeaux terms, are pretty good – and there is a lot of wine and body and cellar-worthiness for the money from this region!

Here are our tasting notes:

Chateau Calon-Segur 1996 St.-Estephe ($80). This one seemed more ready to drink than the rest, which was a good place to start! Ripe, rich bouquet of black fruits and smoke led to layered black and red berry fruit, sweet tobacco, and hints of eucalyptus. Full bodied but still polished. Drink now and over the next four or five years.

Chateau Cos-d’Estournel 1999 St.-Estephe ($50). Still a little tightly wound, but showing appealing spice and chocolate aromas, leading to black currant and berry fruit flavors and herbal notes. Medium bodied. Drink now and over the next four or five years.

Chateau Cos-d’Estournel 1996 St.-Estephe ($110). This one was amazing – and seems like it will keep developing for a number of years. Rich and deep, with dizzying black currant and tobacco aromas and flavors, with a lingering, spicy finish. Tempting now, but probably best to wait! Try in two or three more years, then enjoy for another ten.

Chateau Cos-Labory 1999 St.-Estephe ($23). Not quite the value we were hoping for, offering straightforward red cherry fruit with sweet vanilla and herbal accents. Medium bodied. Drink now and over the next two or three years.

Chateau Haut-Beausejour 1999 St.-Estephe ($19). Probably the least favorite of the tasting – with simple red fruit and light herbal notes. Chewy tannins seemed out of balance.

Chateau Lafon-Rochet 1997 St.-Estephe ($32). This one was surprising in that it seemed totally ready to drink now – couldn’t imagine that additional bottle age would improve anything. Supple red currant and cherry fruit, with waves of sweet spices and appealing acidity. Ready to drink now.

Chateau Montrose 2000 St.-Estephe ($84). Yowsa! This wine should be even more amazing in about six or seven years. Full-bodied and elegant, with layers of ripe red currant, blackberry, tobacco, baking spices, vanilla and mineral. Outstanding.

And... this wraps up our Tasting Bordeaux series. We haven't come close to covering all the nooks and crannies of the region, but we hope the series has given you a comfort level when ordering or buying these wines. They are indeed a special, storied group of wines, but in the end -- they're just wines like any other. Made for enjoying with good food, family and friends.

Cheers!