Critic Ratings & Tasting Notes
Jeb Dunnuck (100/100)
“Looking at the 2022 Château Cos D’Estournel, this awesome Saint-Estèphe checks in as a classic blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that spent 18 months in 50% new oak. Remarkably concentrated yet with a graceful elegance, it has sensational cassis, graphite, spring flowers, and subtle tobacco-driven aromatics, full-bodied richness, a deeply layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and a monumental finish. Hitting 14% alcohol with a pH of 3.79, it’s as good a Cos d’Estournel as has ever been made. It actually has ample upfront appeal yet won’t hit the early stages of its prime drinking window for another decade, and it will have 50-75 years of overall longevity.”
Vertdevin (100/100)
“The nose is very indulgent, with lovely concentration, depth, and an airy quality at the same time. The initial nose is rich in spices, paired with a gourmet chocolatey side (licorice, fresh vanilla, cardamom, ground nutmeg, a hint of clove). The fruit is ripe and fresh, with a refined tangy edge (blackcurrant, morello cherry, juicy bigarreau cherry, redcurrant, crushed raspberry, tart strawberry), flowers (violet, peony, wild rose) and fresh and roasted herbs (fresh rosemary, roasted thyme, plus an airy note of thyme blossom), and a very elegant toasted touch – hazelnut, wood, and coffee. The palate is tight and solid, with fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness. It delivers flavors of blackcurrant, morello cherry, juicy bigarreau cherry, crushed raspberry, tart strawberry, completed by the bitterness of bird cherry and cocoa, an elegant herbal hint of stem, dried blackcurrant leaf, fresh vanilla, cardamom, clove, with licorice prevailing, as well as a perfumed floral bouquet of violet, peony, and wild rose, especially on the finish. A wine of accuracy and precision, currently restrained and closed, but with great potential. It needs time to open up.”
Jeff Leve – The Wine Cellar Insider (99/100)
“Opaque in color, the wine pops from the glass with black fruits, cloves, cinnamon, blackberries, blueberries, purple flowers, almonds, and smoke. The wine coats, bathes, and covers your palate with seemingly endless layers of opulent, black fruits. The cashmere tannins create the impression of velvet as the wine lingers for 60 seconds or more with its waves of black, blue. and red fruits, dark cocoa, licorice, and Asian spice. There is a seamlessness to the finish, as well as lift, and purity. This is a very hedonistic, yet elegant wine. 2022 clearly competes with the best of vintages of Cos ever produced. The wine was made from blending 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. 14.04% ABV, 3.79 pH. The yields were 33 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place September 7 to September 23. The Grand Vin was produced from 66% of the harvest. The wine is going to approachable early in its life, yet it has the ability to age for decades. Drink from 2028-2060.”
James Suckling (99/100)
“Wow. So intense and spicy with nutmeg, cloves, ink and blackberries. Also asphalt, lead pencil and tobacco. Full-bodied, but at the same time, there’s a real balance giving incredible depth and length. The tannins are all there but are polished as well as firm. Superb structure. A neoclassical Cos, one for long-term aging. Perhaps the best ever. A blend of 61% cabernet sauvignon, 37% merlot, 1% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. Drink after 2030.”
Wine Enthusiast (98/100)
“97-99 Barrel sample. The qualities of the 2022 vintage have been good to Cos d’Estournel. Freshness and black fruits have lightened the tannins into a fine and juicy wine. The result is impressive—a superb, generous and structured wine that is one of the best from the estate for many years.”
Falstaff (98/100)
“Dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the ochre rim. On the nose, delicate notes of cassis and fine oak, dark fruits of the forest and candied orange zest. The palate is juicy and powerful, yet very elegant, with pronounced, integrated tannins, good freshness, ripe plum and cherry fruit, and a mineral finish, already easy to drink, good ageing potential, with huge future potential. (25/1, +30, PM).”
An Opulent Saint-Estèphe red wine
The estate
Situated in the north of the Médoc, on the Saint-Estèphe hill, Château Cos d’Estournel stands in majesty. Like a Maharadjah’s palace, the château and its pagodas surprise and captivate the eye. In 1791, Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel inherited hectares of vines and had the estate built. An adventurer who travelled all over the world, his taste for the exotic and the Orient gave Château Cos d’Estournel its architecture, unique to the Médoc. Owned by Michel Reybier since 2000, Château Cos d’Estournel continues to shine in the Saint-Estèphe appellation and joins the ranks of the world’s greatest wines, distinguished by its unique style in which a taste for beauty and excellence are a constant pursuit.
The vineyard
A benchmark among the great wines of Saint-Estèphe, Château Cos d’Estournel enjoys an exceptional geographical location. Its vineyards are located on the edge of the plateau, right next to the Gironde estuary. As a result, the vineyards benefit from a maritime climate while being protected from the elements. The vines are planted on two slopes and a central plateau, benefiting from ideal exposure and good ventilation.
Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (61%)
Merlot (37%)
Cabernet Franc (1%)
Petit Verdot (1%)
