Product description
2018 Château Cos d’Estournel, 2ème Grand Cru Classé Saint-Estèphe is now released.
Château Cos d’Estournel is the star of St Estephe that competes with the quality of some 1st growths. Founded in the 19th century, today Michel Reybier owns the estate, and is innovating using detailed technical analysis and using isothermal vats to allow homogeneous extraction during fermentation. A higher percentage of Merlot is found in the Cos blend compared with the rest of the Haut-Medoc, and this helps produce fleshy and richly textured wines
The 91 hectares of vines are planted with two third of Cabernet Sauvignon, but also Merlot and a small proportion of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, with an average of 45 years old vines. The wines are aged for 18 months in 80% new oak.
While this ambitiously priced release of Cos d’Estournel places it only below the 2009 and 2010, and roughly in line with the 2016 vintage in the market, it doesn’t appear out of place, given that this is most probably amongst the top three wines ever produced at this legendary Chateaux. In a vintage that sometimes struggles to find the right balance of acidity and structure, Cos d’Estournel hits it out of the park. This will be a truly fascinating wine to follow over the next 50 to 100 years and is likely to become a benchmark, not just for the property, or the appellation, but for Bordeaux.
Harvest for the grand vin began on the 23rd of September and finished on the 7th of October. Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot (with no Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc this year), yields for this wine in 2019 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it is aging in 55% new oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cos d’Estournel soars out of the glass with vibrant black raspberries, Black Forest cake and crushed blackcurrants scents plus nuances of red roses, wild sage, dark chocolate and cast-iron pan with a waft of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and built like a skyscraper, with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the concentrated black fruit flavors, finishing with incredible length and depth. This wine so beautifully, clearly captures the juxtaposition between the periods of dry heat and those hallelujah moments of refreshing rain – the hallmarks of this great vintage. It’s a vinous masterpiece in the making. – 97-99+ Points Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Advocate
Offered for sale ‘En Primeur’ under bond. Price shown is per case (6x75cl bottles) and excludes UK duty and VAT which will be charged at the prevailing rate when the wine is released from bond. Onward delivery from bond charges are not included, free delivery on orders above £100 does not apply. Reward Card points are not accruable or redeemable on ‘En Primeur’ or In Bond sales.
A very powerful and structured Cos. It’s full and layered, but not overpowering in terms of fruit. It’s more about the abundant, very fine tannins. It’s a classic wine with historical grip and power. Real Bordeaux. Sophisticated and provocative.
- 98 pts James Suckling