My Article: Is 1989 Cos Finally Better than 1990?

I have to say I was very surprised during a dinner this week with the Orange County Food & Wine Society at Marche Moderne in Costa Mesa, Calif. The 1990 and 1989 Cos d’Estournel were served side by side during the meal – and I preferred the 1989.

In general, this should not surprise you because I have long said that 1989 is a superior vintage to 1990 in Bordeaux. The 1989 reds are more structured, more intense, and – more importantly – cleaner than the 1990s. A number of 1990s have issues with Brettanomyces. This yeast spoilage in a wine gives it a gamey, earthy, and funky character.

However, the 1990 Cos was always one of my favorite 1990s, and I always preferred it to the 1989. Not this week. The 1989 is better, and the majority of the 40 or so participants of the dinner preferred the 1989 as well.

The 1989 Cos at the dinner showed a wonderful depth of fruit with very firm and dense tannins. It had so much character of olives, spices, and berries. It was the wine’s freshness and intensity that won me over the 1990 Cos. I scored it 94 points.

The 1990 Cos was refined with dark fruits with delicate spice and leather notes. It was full to medium bodied, with fine tannins. It was a little funky. I would drink it. I scored it 92 points.

But in the end, as I said, the group preferred the more structured and younger 1989 Cos. And I have to agree.