2020 Les Pagodes de Cos - Zweitwein von Cos d'Estournel - St. Estephe AC

Decanter.com - 93 pts - GH: *Ripe dark fruits on the nose, smells fleshy with liquorice, tobacco, dried herb and dark chocolate flecks. Smooth and sleek on the palate, gorgeous texture and weight in the mouth. Grippy and mouthfilling with powdery tannins that gently support the rich fruit profile. A bold, confident wine with chew and flesh and lots of appeal. One for sooner drinking to enjoy the youthful opulence but will age too* - 01/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 93 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, dunkle Waldbeeren, etwas Nugat, feine Gewürznote. Saftig, elegant, reife Kirschen, frischer Säurebogen, integrierte Tannine, mineralisch und lange anhaftend, ein feinwürziger, frischer Speisenbegleiter mit Reifepotenzial.* - 02/2023

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 91-93pts - LPB: *The 2020 Les Pagodes de Cos is composed of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. The harvest took place September 10–24 with a yield of 39 hectoliters per hectare. The alcohol weighs in at 13.28% with a pH of 3.85 and an IPT (total phenolic index) of 68. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 30% new.
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with pretty, open-knit scents of stewed black plums, boysenberries and warm cassis, plus savory hints of charcuterie, woodsmoke, black truffles and bouquet garni. Medium-bodied, the palate is packed with crunchy black fruit flavors and dried herbs accents, supported by bags of freshness and well-managed, grainy tannins, finishing with great length and a lively skip in its step.* - 05/21

WeinWisser – 18/20pts - WL: *58 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 34 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 4 % Petit Verdot. Sattes Purpur mit opaker Mitte und lila Rand. Komplexes Bouquet mit reifer schwarzer Kirsche, dunklen Schokopralinen und Lakritze, dahinter exotische Hölzer, zarter Veilchenduft und edle Cassiswürze. Am üppigen Gaumen mit cremiger Textur, reife Extraktfülle, stützende Rasse und engmaschiges Tanningerüst. Im gebündelten Finale dunkle Frucht, spürbare Terroirwürze und zarte Adstringenz mit ganz zarten kernigen Noten im Untergrund, aufgerundet.* – 04/2021

JancisRobinson.com - 17/20pts - JL: *Structured and fresh with present but unaggressive tannins. Fruit bright and lifted. Upright and classic in its demeanour and clearly with ageing potential. 13.3% Drink 2027 – 2040.* - 04/2021

JamesSuckling.com - 93-94pts - JS: *This is a racy Pagodes with beautiful fruit and tannins that leave a nice, persistent finish. Medium to full body. Savory finish. Tight and clean.* - 05/21

Vinous.com - (90-92) pts - AG: *The 2020 Les Pagodes de Cos is very easy to like. Silky tannins and pretty, lifted aromatics play off a core of supple fruit. In most vintages, the Pagodes is perhaps a bit more exuberant. I am curious to see what things look like once the 2020 is in bottle.* - 05/2021

Vinous.com – (89-91) pts – NM: *The 2020 Les Pagodes de Cos has a well-defined, almost Graves-like bouquet of a mélange of red and black fruit: punnets of freshly picked strawberries and raspberried, and blackberries following later. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins. This Les Pagodes has a smooth veneer, just a faint wisp of dark chocolate and espresso infusing the predominantly red fruit. A second wine that will probably drink well after one or two years in bottle.* - 05/2021

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 93 pts – JL: *Spicy, smoky, currants, espresso, flower and licorice create the perfume. On the palate. the medium-bodied, soft, plush and polished wine is almost ready to go. And that's a good thing because you are going to want to dig into all of its layers of ripe, fresh, creamy, lush dark red fruits and their spicy, chocolate edge. For a second wine, this is a fabulous effort. Drink this young while waiting for the Grand Vin to develop. Drink from 2023-2038.* - 03/2023