Cos d'Estournel - Saint-Estèphe 2018 b5952cb1c3ab96cb3c8c63cfb3dccaca

Wine Spectator

96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/1/2021

This is a bird of a different feather, with a ripe, sleek, and very polished feel as creamed loganberry, plum and boysenberry flavors spill forth, flanked for support by singed alder and incense notes, while black tea and savory threads curl around the finish. Long, showy and lovely. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. 16,600 cases made. –JM

Falstaff

100 / 100

byPeter Moserthe1/29/2021

Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Nuancen von Cassis und frischen Feigen, aber auch rotbeerige Aspekte klingen an, exotische Gewürze, feiner Edelholztouch, ein ungemein facettenreiches und verführerisches Bukett. Stoffig, komplex, dunkle Kirschen, extraktsüße Textur, perfekte Tannine, rund und reif, dunkle Beeren und feiner Nougat im Abgang, bleibt minutenlang haften, mineralisch, rote Kirschen im Nachhall, sehr vielversprechendes Entwicklungspotenzial, hat eine große Karriere vor sich. (2020 - 2060)

Yvesbeck.wine

96 / 100

byYves Beckthe1/26/2021

Bouquet complexe se révélant petit à petit. C'est d'abord l'élevage qui se distingue mais il est rapidement relayé par des notes de baies noires, des nuances florales et une légère touche confite. Caractère crémeux et friand en bouche. Le vin est dense, élégant et parfaitement équilibré. Beaucoup de précision et de finesse dans les tannins. Un Cos d'Estournel sapide, charmant et persistant.

Decanter.com

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe1/12/2021

Decanter Magazine

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe11/10/2020

A little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%).

Drinking Window 2028 - 2045

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/15/2019

The 2018 Cos d’Estournel is matured in 50% new oak, a little less than usual. It has a more opulent bouquet compared to the 2016 and 2017 as you might imagine with high-toned but not overbearing black cherries, iodine and cassis aromas. The dialling down of the oak we a good idea. With aeration it manifest enticing violet scents. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that creates what is one of the most lithe Cos d’Estournel releases in recent years. It is silky smooth in texture with fine acidity, the 14.59% alcohol just lending a little decadence towards the finish. It is one of the more heady wines in recent years although everything seems to me kept in check and the tannins feel very fine and precise on the finish, indicative of prudent winemaking. Very fine, even if it does not quite match the ethereal 2016 Cos d’Estournel.

WeinWisser

18,5 / 20

the5/7/2019

Vinous

97-100 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe5/3/2019

A regal, soaring Saint-Estèphe, the 2018 Cos d'Estournel is also clearly one of the wines of the vintage. On the palate, the 2018 is dark and sumptuous, with striking aromatic presence and silky tannins that wrap around a rich core of exotic fruit. Black cherry, savory herbs, leather, spice and menthol build in the glass in a wine that is both aromatically intense and richly textured. The 2018 has been nothing short of breathtaking on the two occasions I have tasted it so far. Don't miss it.

Vinifera

98 /

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Robe très sombre. Grande profondeur aromatique. Bouche monumentale qui offre un volume étonnant. Il prend appui sur une assise magistrale avec un tanin à la fois croquant et velouté. Magnifique finale expansive. Une réussite significative de la propriété.  

Jeb DUNNUCK

97-99 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/1/2019

Deeply colored, the 2018 Cos D'Estournel shows the incredible purity and elegance that this estate delivers these days as well as fabulous crème de cassis, graphite, white flowers, and spicy oak aromas and flavors. Made from 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new barrels, it builds with time in the glass and has a full-bodied, decadent yet also seamless mouthfeel, layers of tannins, and a great finish. This is as classy as it gets and certainly a candidate for the King of Saint-Estèphe in 2018. Given its purity and balance as well as depth of fruit, it should offer loads of pleasure in its youth yet also evolve nicely for 3-4 decades. This estate has been on an incredible roll over the past 7-8 years and this is another killer wine. For those interested in the technical data, this wine hit 14.59% alcohol, with a pH of 3.69, total acids of 3.3, and a whopping IPT of 80. 97-99+

My Bettane + Desseauve

97 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/24/2019

La Revue du Vin de France

19-19,5 / 20

the4/24/2019

The Wine Cellar Insider

98-100 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

With its telltale Asian spice perfume, the color is impossible to see through. Full-bodied, dense, rich and fleshy, the wine coats your palate with a display of red and black fruits, spice, smoke, earth and licorice. The tannins are polished. The fruit, even with this much weight and flesh, remains fresh and balanced. The finish keeps on going long after the wine has left its glass and gone to where it was intended to go. I timed it, and it surpassed the 60 second mark! This is positively stunning and if you’re a lover of COS, as this is one of the best vintages produced in the long history of the estate, this belongs in your cellar. The wine was made from blending 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, reaching 14.6% alcohol with a pH of 3.7. The harvest took place September 19 to October 6. The Grand Vin was made from only 65% of the harvest.

Wine Advocate

97-100 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is composed of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc and has 14.59% alcohol. Aging in 50% new barriques, it has a deep purple-black color and drifts effortlessly, gracefully, seductively out of the glass with slowly unfurling notions of blackcurrant cordial, wild blueberries, chocolate-covered cherries and plum pudding with touches of violets, licorice, wild roses and yeast extract plus a waft of loose tobacco. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house with a solid frame of super firm, super ripe tannins and seamless freshness to back up the vibrant, crunchy, oh-so-muscular fruit, finishing long with loads of mineral layers. Amazing structure will keep this beauty for at least half a century and probably a full one!

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/17/2019

Big, rich and smoky in nature, with powerful fruits and dense tannins, this is a wine that is straining at the limits but still within balance. Rich, smoky flavors shine along with the black plum fruit and bright acidity. It will age for many years.

Jamessuckling.com

98-99 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

The beautiful integration of ripe fruit and ripe tannins gives the wine a layered and agile mouthfeel. Soft and gorgeous with silky tannins that really kick in at the finish and carry the wine for a long time.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

98 / 100

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/8/2019

Decanter.com

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/1/2019

This has some austerity on the attack, then announces its arrival in the inimitable way that Cos is able to do: with a slow build up of exotic spices, liquorice root, cedar and cassis. It stretches out through the palate and you keep waiting for the tannins to punch through like they did in 2010, but it doesn't happen, even though this is a big wine with high alcohol and an IPT of 80. There's a great menthol freshness on the finish, helped no doubt by a fresh 3.65pH. It has the luxurious signature of Cos, the glamorous touch that you look for in this wine - like at Mouton and at Angelus - that is part of their DNA, but it's also married to elegance and a touch of slate minerality. This is a wine that you would be thrilled to own. 12mm of rain on 12 September and 20mm in mid-August were just enough to stop any blockages in ripening, although the 30hl/ha yield is low due to a touch of mildew and some concentration in September. This compares to a more generous 45hl/ha in 2016. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine is aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). A candidate to upscore when in bottle.
Drinking Window 2028 - 2042

Yvesbeck.wine

96-97 / 100

byYves Beckthe4/1/2019

74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot
Pourpre violacé. Bouquet complexe, intense marqué par des notes florales, fruitées et minérales. Beaucoup de fraîcheur en symbiose avec la touche fruitée du nez. Attaque friande et juteuse. Au palais, le vin est compact, élégant, crémeux et parfaitement équilibré. Il est doté de tannins suaves qui se révèlent lentement et qui assurent bien les arrières. La structure est également dans la course et assure l’expression aromatique jusqu’en finale. Caractère persistant en fin de bouche. Finesse et puissance. 2025-2043