2007 Goulee

Good bright medium ruby. Cassis, licorice and dark chocolate aromas, along with a hint of black olive. A bit youthfully clenched but offers good chewy density and sweetness of fruit in a very modern style. Just a touch of dryness on the finish. The crop level here was barely 20 hectoliters per hectare, according to winemaking director Jean-Guillaume Prats.

Relatively new, ultra-modern and concentrated product from the Cos d’Estournel team. Very bright crimson. Very positive and concentrated on the nose, as though it had been concentrated! Though very nice supple fruit on palate entry – mulberries. Only at the end is there a bit of dryness reminiscent of some of the St-Émilions – oak has slightly swamped the fruit? Pretty round and well done. Lots of bang for the buck here and more life than in many grander wines. Just fades a bit on the finish. NB drinking dates. Go for youthful power here! (There is a Goulée Blanc, effectively a very small-production second wine of Cos d’Estournel Blanc.) (JR)

An attractive wine made by Jean-Guillaume Prats and Michel Reybier reveals notes of spice box, damp earth, forest floor, and red as well as black currants, and an elegant, medium-bodied style. It performs well-above its humble pedigree. Drink it over the next 4-5 years. Apr 2010, www.robertparker.com