CHATEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL 2eme Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2018 Bottle

Description

The 2018 Château Cos d'Estournel is a remarkable Bordeaux, celebrated for its rich yet refined character, featuring bold flavors of blackberry, cassis, and plum, complemented by notes of cedar, mocha, and spices. This vintage has earned significant acclaim, including 98+ points from The Wine Advocate for its complex bouquet of crème de cassis and earthy layers, supported by firm, ripe tannins. James Suckling also awarded it 98 points, praising its purity and integrated tannins. Decanter rated it 97 points for its exotic spices and menthol freshness, while Vinous gave it 96 points, highlighting its silky-smooth tannins and perfect acidity. Wine Enthusiast recognized its rich structure and exceptional balance, making this vintage a beautiful choice for collectors, with excellent aging potential.

*****

THE WINE ADVOCATE 98+ points
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Drink Date: 2028 - 2068
The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond.

JAMES SUCKLING 98 points
The richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special. Try after 2027.

DECANTER 97 points
Tasted by: Jane Anson
(at Primeur week tastings in Bordeaux, 02 Apr 2019)
Part of Top St-Estèphe 2018 wines: Re-tasted in bottle
Drinking Window: 2028 - 2042
This has some austerity on the attack, then announces its arrival in the inimitable way that Cos is able to do: with a slow build up of exotic spices, liquorice root, cedar and cassis. It stretches out through the palate and you keep waiting for the tannins to punch through like they did in 2010, but it doesn't happen, even though this is a big wine with high alcohol and an IPT of 80. There's a great menthol freshness on the finish, helped no doubt by a fresh 3.65pH. It has the luxurious signature of Cos, the glamorous touch that you look for in this wine - like at Mouton and at Angelus - that is part of their DNA, but it's also married to elegance and a touch of slate minerality. This is a wine that you would be thrilled to own. 12mm of rain on 12 September and 20mm in mid-August were just enough to stop any blockages in ripening, although the 30hl/ha yield is low due to a touch of mildew and some concentration in September. This compares to a more generous 45hl/ha in 2016. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine is aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). A candidate to upscore when in bottle.

VINOUS 96 points
The 2018 Cos d’Estournel showed a lot of promise when I tasted it from barrel. Now in bottle and given a 2–3-hour decant, it has a gorgeous and disarmingly pure bouquet, slightly high-toned with iodine scents infusing the lush blackberry and boysenberry scents. The oak is seamlessly integrated. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry, delivering silky-smooth tannins, perfect acidity and a sense of harmony than is very persuasive. I cannot recall a Cos d’Estournel in recent years with such fine tannins. It gently fans out toward the finish while retaining superb precision, completing what is a beautifully crafted Cos d’Estournel with a long future ahead. - Neal Martin

WINE ENTHUSIAST 96 points
Rich and dense, this wine is happily poised between ripe fruits and a deceptively powerful structure. Smoky flavors from wood aging combine with solid black fruits that strain but never overstep an impressive balance. This wine will age, promising much for the future. Drink from 2026. — Roger Voss

JANCIS ROBINSON 17.5 points
Tasted blind. Quite interesting, complex nose with some floral elements. Clean and fresh. Vigorous and very well balanced. Everything is in the right place, even if there’s a hint of heat on the end. (JR)