Chateau Cos d´Estournel 2009

100 THE WINEADVOCATE: "One of the greatest young wines I have ever tasted, the monumental 2009 Cos d’Estournel has lived up to its pre-bottling potential. A remarkable effort from winemaking guru Jean-Guillaume Prats and owner Michel Reybier, this blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot (33%) and a touch of Cabernet Franc (2%) was cropped at 33 hectoliters per hectare. It boasts an inky/black/purple color along with an extraordinary bouquet of white flowers interwoven with blackberry and blueberry liqueur, incense, charcoal and graphite. The wine hits the palate with extraordinary purity, balance and intensity as well as perfect equilibrium, and a seamless integration of tannin, acidity, wood and alcohol. An iconic wine as well as a remarkable achievement, it is the greatest Cos d’Estournel ever produced. It is approachable enough at present that one could appreciate it with several hours of decanting, but it will not hit its prime for a decade, and should age effortlessly for a half century."

100 JAMES SUCKLING: "This is amazing as always with layers of fruit and firm, velvety tannins. Full body, incredible depth of fruit and length. Currants, raspberries and Indian spices. It goes on for minutes. A monumental Cos. Greatest ever from here. Better in five years, but amazing."

20 RENÈ GABRIEL: "Sattes, dichtes Violett-Schwarz, intensiv bis zum Rand. Kompakte Nase, Dörrpflaumen, Cassisbeeren, Brazil-Tabak, viel frisch gerösteter Arabica-Kaffee und Spuren von einem halbtrocken wirkenden Vintage-Port, Baumnussschalen, viel Tiefe anzeigend. Voller, schwermütiger Gaumen, irgendwie süss und trocken zugleich, fordernde, etwas körnige Adstringenz, ein volles Fleischpaket mit kernigen, strengen, muskulösen Tanninen. Die übliche Früherotik eines Cos ist hier nicht vorhanden, aber die Gerbstoffe zeigen auf, dass sich hier erst in zehn, zwanzig Jahren ein Wein einstellt, der einen Drittel Weltwein, einen Drittel klassischen, antiken Saint Estèphe und nur vom letzten Drittel her möglicherweise auf Cos hinweisende Aromatik drin ist/sein wird. Wer ihn zu früh trinkt, wird sicherlich enttäuscht sein. Kontrovers ist er auf alle Fälle. A suivre! 20/20"

99 THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "The wine has dropped most of its baby fat and starting to close up. The color remains opaque, with a thick, rich, dense and intense palate presence that is made even better by the smooth, silky tannins and opulent, plush palate presence. Drink soon, or you might have to wait a decade or longer before popping a cork."

97 WINESPECTATOR: "This shows why everyone loves the vintage. Features a gorgeous display of perfectly melded plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that flows beautifully over very creamy tannins. Still nearly all fruit, with flecks of warm stone and iron on the finish. This could easily sit in this phase for some time, but will be hard to resist. Totally modern and beautifully done.—Non-blind Cos-d’Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2020 through 2040. 20,830 cases made."

95 WINE ENTHUSIAST: "94-96 Barrel sample. A hugely rich wine, where the tannins seem initially lost in the overwhelming fruit. It has power and concentration, showing its alcohol a little. There is great intensity, but an edge of Portiness from the super-rich fruit."

91 THE WINEADVOCATE: "Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. There is a lot of fruit intensity on the nose with layers of blackberry, raspberry, candied orange peel and dark plum all vying for attention. It is glossy, dare I say almost “slutty”. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins on the entry. There is good weight and volume to this wine, the Merlot more expressive than elsewhere with a lovely rich, decadent, weighty finish that is a hedonistic treat, but chooses not to translate the terroir of this great property. I prefer the 2010! Tasted January 2013." - Neal Martin.