Cos d'Estournel - Saint-Estèphe 2012

Wine Advocate

92-92

byNeal Martinthe9/20/2022

The 2012 Cos d'Estournel has a perfumed bouquet with blackberry, cedar, undergrowth and black pepper aromas all well-defined and focused, with more vigour than many of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, good acidity, maybe a tad strict and dry on the finish, yet I admire its intensity and terroir expression. There was some bottle variation here, one bottle dominated by wood, the other more typical Cos d'Estournel with plenty of fruit. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Wine Advocate

93

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

Wine Advocate

93

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2015

The 2012 Cos d’Estournel is a classic expression of St.-Estèphe, with notes of graphite, crushed rock, blackberry, blackcurrant fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, structured, but well-integrated tannins and a long finish of 35 seconds or more. This is a beauty and an undeniable top success in the Médoc for 2012. Give it 4-6 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades or more. The final blend, which achieved 13.8% alcohol, is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.Certainly, proprietor Michel Reybier has done fabulous work since acquiring Cos d’Estournel well over a decade ago. The investment in a state-of-the-art, space-age winemaking facility and intense work in the vineyard have all combined to produce a wine of true first-growth quality. (93+)

Jamessuckling.com

95

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2015

Wow. What a nose with currants, blackberries, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stones and wet earth. Full-bodied, refined yet muscular and trim. Fabulously polished tannins. Try drinking in 2020.

Wine Spectator

92

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2015

Juicy raspberry, blackberry and plum confiture notes roll along, while the bramble-edged structure and accents of roasted apple wood and spice fill in. The finish has a lightly firm plum skin edge, but overall there's drive, intensity and depth to the pure fruit. A solid effort. Best from 2017 through 2025. –JM

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2013

(a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 22% merlot, 2% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot, 5 g/l total acidity; 3.73 pH, 95 IPT; 13.8% alcohol):  Bright, full ruby.  Aromas of fresh blackcurrant, graphite and bitter chocolate are complicated by delicately smoky minerality and lifted by an enticing floral quality.  Fine-grained, generous and sweet, with plenty of sound acidity giving noteworthy precision to the palate.  Finishes dense and long, with soft, polished tannins and lingering notes of red and darker fruits.  A lovely Cos, more refined and less exotic than some previous vintages.  You can tell they are de-leafing a great deal less at Cos of late and vintages since 2009 have shown less "solar" personalities and more precision.  Interestingly, this is the first year in a long time that I recall cabernet franc making it into the grand vin at Cos.  Winemaker Dominique Arangoits told me it's from a one-hectare parcel of 35-year-old vines on clay that ripened well, and it no doubt contributed to this wine's bright perfume.  The grand vin represents 50% of the total production in 2012.

timatkin.com

93

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2013

Cos has taken a particular stylistic route since 2009 and this follows the same path, even in a cooler vintage like 2012. It’s a super concentrated, saturated style of wine with notes of plums and blueberries, lashings of new oak and considerable power. What Château Pavie is to the Right Bank, Cos is becoming to the Left. Not to everyone’s taste, but certainly a well made red. Drink: 2020-30

Le Point

15,5-16

byJacques Dupontthe5/16/2013

Nez discret, fruits rouges, tanins veloutés en bouche en séquence première, mais la suite est plus tannique, prise de bois marquée. Vin solide, un peu austère à ce stade, mais avec de la fra^^icheur et des tanins qui devraient bien évoluer à l'élevage. O= 2017 G= 13 ans.

Asian Palate

91

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe5/15/2013

Fresh blackberries, juicy blueberries, lead pencil and exotic spice flavours. Vibrant, ripe flavours that are fairly intense with firm tannins and velvety texture. Well made, polished with fairly long finish. This is a classic rather than modern expressions of Cos which was prevalent over the past decade. Wonderful freshness and a reasonable 13.7% alcohol.

matthewjukes.com

19

byMatthew Jukesthe4/30/2013

Opaque with mulberry and cherry notes throughout this is a scintillating Cos with serious élan.

Wine Advocate

91-93

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2013

Tasted as a barrel sample at the château. The Grand Vin is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that is being raised in 70% new oak. It delivers 13.79% alcohol and represents half of the total crop. It is initially quite taciturn on the nose with blackberry and briary notes, the Cabernet component coming through strongly with hints of iodine. Returning after 10 minutes, the mineral aromas are more pronounced. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. It is certainly well balanced, quite assertive at this stage with bold, dry tannins on the finish that is more concentrated than you would expect given the growing season. There is a pleasant salty note on the aftertaste that lingers long in the mouth. This is a steadfast, well-judged Cos d’Estournel, though it falls somewhat short of the mighty 2010. Tasted April 2013.

Wine Advocate

92-95

byRobert Parkerthe4/26/2013

It has a saturated purple color, a classic style, abundant tannin, slight austerity, superb concentration, huge fruit, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and a structured, muscular, well-delineated finish. This impressive, full-bodied Cos will need time to round into shape. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades. Proprietor Michel Reybier has produced an outstanding 2012 Cos d’Estournel from a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. With a pH of 3.75 and alcohol level of 13.8% this is a ripe wine with the same tannin levels (IPH) as the 2009. The second wine, the 2012 Les Pagodes de Cos, represents 50% of the production.Drink: 2017 - 2037

The Wine Cellar Insider

90-93

byJeff Levethe4/26/2013

Blending 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the wine reached 13.79% alcohol, with a pH of 3.75 and will be aged in 70% new French oak. The first vintage produced with Aymeric de Gironde at the helm after the departure of Jean Guillaume Prats offers the estates’ tell-tale Asian spice scents, complicated by boysenberry and jammy black cherry. Medium/full-bodied, this a lighter-bodied, firm style of Cos d’Estournel, when compared against other, more recently heralded, vintages. 90-93 Pts

Jancis Robinson

17,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/25/2013

Drink 2025-2040Very dark and purple. Very interesting, almost putty nose. Intriguing and not so flamboyant and flashy as in some years. Really rather like Lafite 2012 on the nose! Perhaps a little tiny bit bitter on the finish but no excess of sweetness nor alcohol. Very measured. Solid impact. Very dry finish. I absolutely love the nose but find it a bit austere on the finish – but at least it is classic St-Estèphe. Slightly hard work at this stage; the most youthful wine I have tasted so far. '100% gravity-fed cellar helped us to be restrained in extraction', explained the new director Aymeric de Gironde.

Decanter.com

18

bySteven Spurrierthe4/22/2013

Superb colour, big black fruits, has the opulent smoothness of Cos with freshness and very classy length. 18/20pts ( 93/100pts)Drink: 2017 - 2032

Jamessuckling.com

92-93

byJames Sucklingthe4/4/2013

This is very tannic -- perhaps slightly too much -- but shows very pretty, intense fruit with blueberry and mineral character. Full and dense. Mineral and dried spices such as cloves under it all. Very muscular.