Chateau Cos d´Estournel 2017

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!"

JAMES SUCKLING: "Quite the bottle here! Spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as dried meat and plums with cedar and sandalwood. Full body. Deep and dense in the center palate and a long, long finish. Shows finesse and tightness. Very polished tannins. Long and ethereal. Try after 2023."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2017 Cos d’Estournel has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It needs a little coaxing to reveal classic notes of cassis, ripe juicy plums, and cedar chest, followed by hints of tar, graphite, and bay leaves, with a waft of truffles. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with energetic black fruits and mineral layers, supported by grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with great length."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Quite dark in color, the wine is full bodied, concentrated, lushly textured and offers a serious depth of flavor. Power and elegance make a perfect pairing here. The glycerin filled finish coats your palate, leaving you with a mélange of dark fruits that keep going for almost 50 seconds. The wine was made from blending 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, reaching 13% ABV with a pH of 3.7. The harvest took place September 12 to September 30 and the Grand Vin was made from only 40% of the harvest."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This impressive wine is structured yet well balanced by an attractive fruitiness that parallels the tannins and the smokiness from wood aging. The density of the palate is countered by fresh acidity that shines through."

WEINWISSER: "66 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 32 % Merlot, 1 % Petit Verdot, 1 % Cabernet Franc. 43 hl/ha. 40 % Grand Vin. Granatrubin mit funkelnden Reflexen und violettem Rand. Komplexes, rotbeeriges Bouquet, Wildkirsche, rote Johannisbeeren und Eisenkraut. Im zweiten Ansatz würziges Rosenholz und heller Tabak. Am eleganten Gaumen mit seidigem Tannin und gutem Zug. Im geradlinigen Finale mit Wacholder und Kirschhäuten, der Wein wirkt aktuell etwas burschikos und endet mit zarter Adstringenz. Zurück zur Klassik!"

DECANTER: "Had a few issues with brett on the first bottle of this, but tasted again (twice for reassurance) and this has an unmistakably rich ripeness to it. Successful polishing and rounding out of the tannins that works to override the austerity of the vintage far better than many. Cassis and spiced damson character abounds, and it opens up in the glass slowly but determinedly. 60% new oak. Plenty of ageing capacity on display."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The grand vin 2017 Chateau Cos D'Estournel checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak. It's a classic 2017 that shows the straight, very classic style of the vintage with its medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and solid spine of acidity. Beautiful cassis, green tobacco, graphite, and cedar pencil notes all emerge from the glass, and as with the Pagodes, it's still tight and reserved on the palate. Reminding me of the 1996 with its classic, balanced style, give bottles 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Bright and expressive, with an extroverted core of loganberry, plum and black cherry fruit racing to the fore, carried by a polished and sleek structure. Reveals a subtle mineral edge through the finish, with alluring black and red tea notes swirling around. The rare seductive St.-Estèphe. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2036."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, Edelholzwürze, ein Hauch von Tabak, schwarze Beerenfrucht, zart nach Brombeeren und Kirschen, Mittlere Komplexität, mineralisch und fein strukturiert, präsentes, sehr gut integriertes Tannine, saliner Touch im Abgang, elegant und balanciert, ein facettenreicher Speisenbegleiter."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Cured meats, black pepper and summer fruits on the nose. Graphite and cassis on the palate, together with more of that meaty oak spice. Fairly rich and ripe for the vintage, with lots of exotic spice character and wood tannin. An attempt to be plush that is fairly successful – it retains the better elements of freshness in the vintage."