With all the talk of "memorable wines of '06" and NYE blowouts I felt like making a small contribution. NYE was the typical 20 bottle wine fest with like minded geeks. As far as memorable and interesting I will submit two Cos, the '89 and the '91, both bought at release and from my cellar.
<b>'89 Cos d'Estournel</b>:Typical of the many bottles of this vintage I have had. Still tightly wound, some roasted herbs with a touch of chocolate. The wine had to be considered good but IMHO a little angular and not at the level you would expect from this producer and this vintage. How about something in the 88-90 pt, 3.5/5 or maybe very good.
<b>'91 Cos d'Estournel</b>: This is the reason for the post. I bought 3 bottles at release and was impressed at how good the first bottle was 4-5 years ago. This wine shocked all and most thought the WOTN. Huge flavors of muted tobacco and chocolate, still very nicely structured with a long finish but completely ready to drink. It may seem silly but this was one of the best bottles of wine this year. It proves that a really good producer can make a great wine in even off years. Given the choice I would drink the '91 over the '89 every time.
Walt