Chateau Cos d´Estournel 2016

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2016 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is muscular yet so well defined and toned. Full-bodied with deep and dense fruit on the palate, yet powerful and rich at the same time. So much sandalwood and blackberry character. Chewy and rich at the finish. This is a warm and generous wine, but the alcohol is just over 13 degrees. Not that high. Love the finish. Extravagant. Magical. Try from 2025."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "You could lose count if you were trying to number all the layers of velvet drenched, powerful, lifted, sweet, fresh deep red fruits here. The wine offers incredible levels of concentration along with precision, purity, power and elegance. But to take all this in at its peak, patience is required as you will need at least 12 years or so before this really starts shining. But it is going to be worth the wait."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The grand vin 2016 Cos d'Estournel checks in as 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. One of the more seamless, pure, elegant versions of this cuvée out there, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a monster nose of pure crème de cassis, gravelly, rocky minerality, tobacco leaf, crushed violets, and lead pencil shavings. One of those “iron fists in a velvet glove” wines, with full-bodied richness and beautiful structure that’s covered by thrilling levels of fruit and texture, it stays tight, compact, and incredibly focused on the palate. It’s already brilliant given its purity of fruit and balance, but it deserves a decade of bottle age and will keep for 4-5 decades."

DECANTER: "One of the best Cos in recent years, a huge success although not showing as much of itself as the 2010 at this point, as you would expect with a concentrated Sauvignon-dominant classified St-Estèphe. First time for me opening this vintage since the in-bottle tastings a few years ago, and those gorgeous layers of cassis, blackberry and bilberry fruits are on full display with a little coaxing out of the glass, met step-by-step with a smoked caramel, bitter black chocolate and liquorice root twist. A brilliant wine with precision and confidence. Expect decades of enjoyment ahead of it, but not one to think about for another five or six years. 75% new oak. Drinking Window 2026 - 2050"

WEINWISSER: "76 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 % Merlot, 1 % Cabernet Franc. 45 % Grand Vin, 45 hl/ha. Was für ein zartes Parfüm nach Iris und Veilchen! Dahinter rote Kirschen, Graphitspuren und Kokos sowie eine edle Mokka-Schokonote. Am kräftigen Gaumen mit mehligem Tannin, der Cos bleibt elegant und endet in einem sehr langen komplexen Finale mit schwarzer Johannisbeere und Pflaumenhaut. Zurück zur puren Klassik!"

VINUM: "Temperamentvoll, von immenser Rasse und Länge, ungemein fruch¬tig, Traube pur; herrlicher, stilvoller Cos, Präzision reimt hier wieder auf Inspiration."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, intensive Edelholzwürze, Brombeerkonfit, ein Hauch von reifen Kirschen und Pflaumen, etwas Nougat, kandierte Orangenzesten. Saftig, angenehme Kirschenfrucht, dezente Süße, gut integrierte Tannine, mineralisch und frisch strukturiert, zeigt gute Länge, zitroniger Touch im Finish."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Powerful tannins show strongly in this elegant, structured wine. Rich black-currant and black-plum flavors are lifted by acidity. The wine has weight and concentration, but also is poised and fresh. This combination will allow the wine to age for many years. Drink from 2025."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This has a core of slightly exotic loganberry, plum and boysenberry fruit laced with singed spice, savory, lilac and incense notes, while a buried chalk-edged minerality sits in reserve. Very sleek, with a wonderfully long finish that lets the fruit and other elements shimmer. Best from 2025 through 2040. 15,833 cases made."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Minerally nose with all in place. Good vitality and a certain meatiness. Hint of rose petals on the end. Pretty interesting!"