A word of admiration and praise is in order for Bruno Prats. One of St.-Estephe's most forward thinking producers, Prats is never content with merely making outstanding wine. Over the last few years he has improved Cos d'Estournel, already one of the great wines of Bordeaux, by eliminating any filtration at bottling, and replacing the standard paper label with one made of plastic so it will not disintegrate in damp, humid cellars. Additionally, the quality of his wines in such difficult vintages as 1992 and 1993 has been remarkable. Readers should also note that a second wine, the beautifully packaged Les Pagodes de Cos, has been implemented with the 1994 vintage. It appears to be a fine second wine. One of the most successful Medocs of the vintage, Cos d'Estournel's 1993 exhibits an opaque dark purple color, and a heady, sweet, pure, blackcurrant bouquet that roars from the glass. With surprising richness, fat, and glycerin, tasters would never suspect that this medium-bodied, elegant yet authoritatively-flavored wine emerged from such a difficult vintage. The wine's low acidity and roundness guarantees 12-14 years of drinkability. This is a splendid success in an irregular vintage. Cos d'Estournel is clearly producing wines that are often of first-growth potential.