Cos d'Estournel Grand Cru 2018
(Saint Estèphe, Bordeaux, France) - [WA 98+] [JD 98+] [JS 98] [VM 98] [DM 97] [WE 96] [WS 96]

About the Château:
The history of Cos d’Estournel began in 1811 when its owner Louis Gaspard Lacoste of Maniban Marquis d’Estournel, after inheriting some vineyards near the village of Cos, decided to vinify them separately. The wine of Cos d’Estournel was born. 

In 1855 Cos d’Estournel reached the classification of 1855 as a second classified growth. All in all, five owners were at the head of Cos d’Estournel, the last of which is Michel Reybier, who bought the château in 2000 and undertook many changes including a brand new barrel cellar, but above all, a 100% gravity winemaking cellar: a novelty in the region.

Tasting Notes:
Finely structured and vibrant, Cos d’Estournel 2018 is both powerful and balanced, with very soft tannins. It offers a multitude of nuances, including remarkably elegant spices and an extremely long and lingering finish. It is an extraordinary vintage with immense cellaring potential that will surely count among the most legendary vintages of the estate.

Ratings & Reviews

98+ Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (3/2021)

98+ Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"An incredible wine from this estate that's as good as anything in the vintage, the 2018 Château Cos D'Estournel checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 50% new French oak. While some 2018s are going to offer pleasure right out of the gate, this isn't one of them, but rather it's a backward, tannic powerhouse of a wine that has flawless balance as well as a level of purity that's off the charts. Thrilling crème de cassis fruit, notes of lead pencil, damp earth, cedarwood, violets, and acacia flowers, full-bodied richness, masses of ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish all make for a legendary Saint-Estèphe that will need a good decade of bottle age yet evolve for 50 years or more. If you are tempted to try a bottle in its youth, it needs lots of air."(3/2021)

98 Points - James Suckling:
"The richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special." (1/2021)

98 points - Vinous Media:
"The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur." - Antonio Galloni (3/2021)

97 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"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%)." (11/2020)

96 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Rich and dense, this wine is happily poised between ripe fruits and a deceptively powerful structure. Smoky flavors from wood aging combine with solid black fruits that strain but never overstep an impressive balance. This wine will age, promising much for the future." - Roger Voss (3/2021)

96 Points - Wine Spectator:
"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." - JM (1/2021)