Chateau Cos d´Estournel 2010

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Blended of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel is deep garnet with a touch of purple and comes at you like a variegated scent wall with profound notions of blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries, spearmint, cigar box and hoisin plus suggestions of praline, charcoal and espresso. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with layer upon layer of black and red fruits plus tons of savory accents and a firm backbone of ripe, grainy tannins, finishing very, very long, carrying great freshness and a beautiful spearmint lift. It’s a lot like the 2005 but with the volume turned up here. These 2010s are truly locked in a time capsule."

JAMES SUCKLING: "There’s clarity and beauty to this wine as always with pure dark berry, stones and spices. Some clove too. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long finish. Pure and precise wine with so much class. Try in 2020."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung, intensive schwarze Beerenfrucht, attraktiv, reife Zwetschken sind unterlegt, ein Hauch von Nougat und Kakao, zart nach Karamell, dezente Anklänge von Dörrobst. Sehr kraftvoll, süß und stoffig, dunkler Nougat, gut eingebettet, präsente Tannine, angenehme Süße. Frisch strukturiert, Orangen im Nachhall, sehr gutes Zukunftspotenzial, schokoladiger Nachhall, feine Extraktsüße im Rückgeschmack."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "I am shocked by how much fun this was to drink at the tender age of only 9 years of age. Full-bodied, powerful, concentrated, in fact, dense is a good way to discuss this beauty. But the wine is balanced, fresh and complex. Luscious on the palate, the finish focuses on layers of ripe, blackberry and cassis, chocolate, herbs and Asian spice. Decanted about 90 minutes, the wine kept getting better and better in the glass as the night wore on. This is a wine you should have in your cellar if you are a fan of Cos d'Estournel. I am sure this will be even better in 5, 10, 15, 20 and even 25 years from now."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A great contrast to the '09, this feels even denser, with dark plum, black currant and fig sauce flavors that pump along. The spine is all graphite and chalk, giving this a riveting feel through the finish. The cut is terrific, no easy feat considering how dense the fruit is. A stunning wine.—Non-blind Cos-d'Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2025 through 2045. 16,000 cases made. — JM"

DECANTER: "Wow, this opens up with a punch of powerful fruit right off the first nose, delivering layer after layer of cinnamon, liquorice, creme de cassis, anis and blackberry. Feels a little higher in alcohol than many of the wines here, which cuts off just a little of the juicy elegance of some but it replaces it with exuberance. It feels closer to the 2009 in character than many of the other wines in 2010, with house style for sure imprinted. Enjoyable, irrepressible, a little less vintage character than some."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 55% of total production. A real tonic. Very, very deep blackish crimson. Real energy and vitality and racy stuff. Pure, refined perfect Cabernet – pretty rich and alcoholic underneath but much, much drier and more appetising than either the 2009 – or the average Napa Cabernet, for example. Minerals and fruit in a lovely tincture. Such great texture and nobility. Racy thoroughbred Great balance and potential. Purity and energy – but you’ll need to wait so long for it!"

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This is a complex and rich wine dominated by superripe fruit. It is a wine of extremes, of fruit, of dark tannins allied to some bitterness from the black chocolate extract. Ripe plums and sweet black fruits are given a lift at the end with bright acidity."