Cos D'Estournel 2016 (1.5L)

100 WA / 100 VM / 100 JS / 100 WCI / 99 JD / 98 JA / 97 DE / 18 JR

#1 James Suckling's Top 100 French Wines of 2019
#51 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2019

The 2016 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of crème de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate

The 2016 Cos d’Estournel was a bona fide showstopper out of barrel, the best that I had encountered in over 20 years of visiting the estate during en primeur, so my expectations were piled high when I returned to find out how it performs in bottle. Deep, almost opaque in color, it sports a very intense but broody bouquet with fathomless deep black fruit tinged with blueberry and violet. The aromas almost seem to envelop the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannin that I have never witnessed in any other vintage of Cos d’Estournel. There is a beguiling symmetry to this Saint-Estèphe, as well as unerring mineralité. The persistent, tobacco-tinged finish can be felt 60 second after the wine has departed. This is a monumental, benchmark Cos d’Estournel that will give not years but decades of pleasure, though I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth, hence my drinking window. 13.07% alcohol. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

This is muscular yet so well defined and toned. Full-bodied with deep and dense fruit on the palate, yet powerful and rich at the same time. So much sandalwood and blackberry character. Chewy and rich at the finish. This is a warm and generous wine, but the alcohol is just over 13 degrees. Not that high. Love the finish. Extravagant. Magical. Try from 2025. - James Suckling

You could lose count if you were trying to number all the layers of velvet drenched, powerful, lifted, sweet, fresh deep red fruits here. The wine offers incredible levels of concentration along with precision, purity, power and elegance. But to take all this in at its peak, patience is required as you will need at least 12 years or so before this really starts shining. But it is going to be worth the wait.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider

The grand vin 2016 Cos d'Estournel checks in as 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc that saw 70% new French oak. One of the more seamless, pure, elegant versions of this cuvée out there, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a monster nose of pure crème de cassis, gravelly, rocky minerality, tobacco leaf, crushed violets, and lead pencil shavings. One of those “iron fists in a velvet glove” wines, with full-bodied richness and beautiful structure that’s covered by thrilling levels of fruit and texture, it stays tight, compact, and incredibly focused on the palate. It’s already brilliant given its purity of fruit and balance, but it deserves a decade of bottle age and will keep for 4-5 decades. - Jeb Dunnuck

Exceptional quality, silky tannins, cinammon, turmeric, cloves, grilled liqourice root, crushed rocks, almost seamless, so full of life and character, and brambled fruit. Chcooate, damson, so juicy and characterful, and singing of St Estèphe character, this is the appellation at its best. Decades ahead of it. Shame about the heavy bottle. 100% new oak.Michel Reybier owner, Aymeric de Gironde director (his last year in the role before heading over to Troplong Mondot).-Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Cos continues to cement its place at the top of the second growths. It has moved on from the emphasis on heft and ripeness to a much more polished, elegant style. This 2016 retains the structure, with 70% new oak adding to the glossy, smooth tannins and palate feel, whilst adding in intense blackcurrant fruit, Asian spices, leafy hints and plenty of mineral drive to finish. Much more drinkable than, say, 2009/2010.-Andy Howard MW, Decanter

Energy and raciness on the nose. Gentle and lifted. And then lots of tannins underneath. Fresh almost sandy tannins. Good energy and tea-leaf sensation. Excellent freshness. Long. Restrained. Elegant. -Jancis Robinson