Tasting Notes
Neal Martin 91
The 2009 Les Pagodes de Cos takes a few swirls of the glass to unfurl, perhaps never quite clicking into fifth gear. Tobacco-stained black fruit, briary and woodland scents eventually emerge; with decanting I suspect this would transmute into an attractive bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, quite symmetrical and extremely well balanced. It is not the most powerful or complex northern Medoc and yet there is surfeit elegant and poise. Enjoy this now and over the next decade. Perversely, I prefer this to the Grand Vin! Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Anticipated maturity: 2022-2035
Vinous 89
Bright red-ruby. Sexy aromas of currant, chocolate and flowers, plus hints of cedar, smoky oak. Plump, lush and fine-grained, showing a remarkably seamless texture for a second wine. Very ripe flavors of currant, mocha, beefsteak tomato and chocolate turn a bit roasted in the glass. Finishes with a smooth dusting of tannins and ripe, chocolatey persistence. I’d drink this wine over the next decade. (This chateau’s flagship wine is clearly more delineated, more tannic and longer than this wine but it’s still a bit too ripe for my taste.)
Wine Advocate 87
Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Pagodes ’09 has a more exotic nose compared to its peers: mulberry and dark plum to the fore, candied orange peel following later. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins. It is a little a oeclunkya compared to its peers with a very austere, rigid finish that is missing nascent charm. Perhaps it will improve in the bottle? We shall see. Tasted January 2013.
