Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2023

Deep purple-black hue. Aromatic and exotic with spice and chocolate notes. Smooth attack then long and persistent. Plenty of freshness. Structured but slightly dry and chewy on the finish at the moment. Clear ageing potential. 

With a shortened cuvaison of 21 days instead of the usual 30, lower fermentation temperatures (around 26 degrees Celsius) and the abandonment of crushing, the 2023 Cos d'Estournel shows to striking effect. It opens with a complex, seductive bouquet of mulberries, cassis, flowers, rose petals and exotic spices, seamlessly interwoven with new oak. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it is built around a fleshy, concentrated mid-palate framed by velvety, finely structuring tannins, unfolding with notable fluidity and concluding with an ethereal finish. Impeccably controlled and confidently expressive, it marries charm with a strong sense of place, standing out as one of the estate’s most accomplished recent renditions.

The finesse is pretty phenomenal here, with such complexity of fruit and vivid, bright flowers. Lavender and rose. Seductive. Ever-so long and precise. Lead pencil and graphite. Reminiscent of old, great Cos, such as 1955 or 1982, but with so much more form and modernity. A renaissance of Cos. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 1% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

The 2023 Cos d’Estournel is fabulous. Dark, resonant and inviting, the 2023 has so much to offer. All the elements are beautifully woven together. Black cherry, plum, licorice, espresso, mocha and incense fill out the layers. Readers will find a Cos endowed with tremendous substance and intensity. I can't remember a young Cos with this much fruit concentration, yet there is nothing overdone here. I loved it. 

Step into Cos d'Estournel, with its richness, depths and layers of cocoa bean, liquorice, espresso, chocolate, exceptional chewiness on the tannins, making things fairly serious at this early stage, with a promise of slow-revealed pleasure over the decades ahead. First time doing green harvest in the vineyards since 2008, causing some worries over the late heat waves on already ripening grapes, but they have retained balanced alchols here, and there is plenty of juice to lift things up on the finish.

The Grand Vin 2023 Château Cos D'Estournel checks in as 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and a splash of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, resting in 50% new French oak. This beauty brings everything up a notch, with awesome crème de cassis, graphite, violets, spicy oak, and chocolate-driven aromatics. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully textured, it has the fresher yet ripe style of the vintage, beautiful tannins, integrated acidity, and a great finish. It's a beautifully elegant yet powerful wine in the making from this team.

The 2023 Cos d'Estournel is deep garnet-purple in color. Energetic notes of cassis, wild blueberries, and fresh juicy raspberries pop from the glass, giving way to underlying hints of rose oil, black pepper, and anise. The light to medium-bodied palate is taut with tightly wound, shiny black and red berry layers, framed by firm grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and minerally.

Barrel Sample. While the wine has a juicy character, with a black-currant aroma, its main thrust is towards tannins and a dry core. It is a fine wine with restrained richness and is certainly ageworthy. 

Offers up showy flavors of crushed loganberry, blackberry and black cherry preserves that feel forward but are soon harnessed by singed cedar, alder and incense accents that catch them from behind. The sweet tobacco–gilded finish flows with generosity. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2039. 10,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Fine savoury nuances, a hint of cassis and dark wild berries, hints of clove and cardamom. Juicy, good complexity, red heart cherry at the core, integrated tannins, mineral, lingers, shows some freshness, some nougat on the finish, already developed and accessible.