2018 Chateau Cos d'Estournel - 2eme Cru St. Estephe

Decanter.com – 97 pts – JA: *A little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%).* - 11/2020

Falstaff Magazin - 100 pts - PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Nuancen von Cassis und frischen Feigen, aber auch rotbeerige Aspekte klingen an, exotische Gewürze, feiner Edelholztouch, ein ungemein facettenreiches und verführerisches Bukett. Stoffig, komplex, dunkle Kirschen, extraktsüße Textur, perfekte Tannine, rund und reif, dunkle Beeren und feiner Nougat im Abgang, bleibt minutenlang haften, mineralisch, rote Kirschen im Nachhall, sehr vielversprechendes Entwicklungspotenzial, hat eine große Karriere vor sich. (2020 - 2060)* - 02/2021

*The 2018 Cos d´Estournel is composed of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc and has 14.59% alcohol. Aging in 50% new barriques, it has a deep purple-black color and drifts effortlessly, gracefully, seductively out of the glass with slowly unfurling notions of blackcurrant cordial, wild blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries and plum pudding with touches of violets, licorice, wild roses and yeast extract plus a waft of loose tobacco. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house with a solid frame of super firm, super ripe tannins and seamless freshness to back up the vibrant, crunchy, oh-so-muscular fruit, finishing long with loads of mineral layers. Amazing structure will keep this beauty for at least half a century and probably a full one!* (97-100/100)

Vinum Magazin – 17/20pts: *Auch Cos d'Estournel ist exakt ein Kind seines Jahrgangs, ungemein feurig, mit sehr feinkörnigem Tannin und einem langen, wuchtigen Finale von Trockenfrüchten.* - 09/2021

Weinwisser – 19/20pts - WL: *Undurchsichtiges Purpur mit schwarzer Mitte. Komplexes Bouquet mit reifen Brombeeren, dunkler Kirsche und exotischen Hölzern. Im zweiten Ansatz Himbeerdrops und Burley-Tabak. Am mächtigen Gaumen mit butterweicher Textur, fein körniger Extraktfülle, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und muskulösem Körper. Im gebündelten Finale packt der St.-Estèphe dann zu und wetzt seine Krallen mit schwarzbeerigen Konturen, getrocknetem Rosmarin und zeigt diese typische, arrogant anmutende Adstringenz – klingt minutenlang nach. Der hat mich heute eines Besseren belehrt und dafür gibt es folgerichtig die höhere Wertung!* – 04/2021

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JR: *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.* - 01/2022

*What strikes you is how aromatic this already is at this stage. Complex and decadent, showing lots of dark berries, smoked meat, wet earth, and dried leaves. Decadent. Full-bodied with very ripe and polished, velvety tannins. Great finish.* (98-99/100)

Vinous.com – 98 pts – AG: *The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur.* - 03/2021

*Big, rich and smoky in nature, with powerful fruits and dense tannins, this is a wine that is straining at the limits but still within balance. Rich, smoky flavors shine along with the black plum fruit and bright acidity. It will age for many years.* (95-97/100)

Vinous.com - 96pts - NM: *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.* - 01/2021