Pagodes De Cos 2021 (750ML)

92-93 JS / 90 DE / 89-91 JD / 90-92 WA / 90 JA / 89-91 VM / 

Blackberry and blueberry aromas and flavors with black licorice and asphalt. Medium-bodied with round, lightly chewy tannins and a juicy finish. A little fluid in the mid-palate. Bright and focused at the end. 60% merlot, 36% cabernet sauvignon, 3% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot. -James Suckling.

Grape typicity on the nose, vanilla bean, lemon grass and orange - juicy and lively, so fresh. It’s light but poised, not massive in terms of weight or fat, this is streamlined and succulent but direct, there’s no messing around here. Sharp and direct with crushed stone lingering while the lemon, bitter grapefruit and creamy apricot settle on the tongue. Racy, I like it. -Georgina Hindle, Decanter.

Including lots of Merlot, the 2021 Pagodes De Cos is 60% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Verdot brought up in 25% new barrels. It's another deeply hued effort with ripe red and black fruits as well as floral, violets, and graphite notes. Medium-bodied, elegant, and nicely balanced, it's a rather firm, focused Pagodes that will round into form with a few years of bottle age. - Jeb Dunnuck.

Impressively rich and concentrated for a second wine in this vintage, the 2021 Les Pagodes de Cos delivers notes of raspberries, spiced plums and violets, followed by a medium to full-bodied, velvety and salted palate framed by ripe tannins and lively acids. - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate.

Visually the texture is attractive, supple, inviting. This is different to the character than you have found in Pagodes over recent years, the acidity is clearly more present through the tannins, which appear at the front of the mouth. But there are plenty of vivid blue fruits, together with bitter chocolate character, this is classically balanced, enjoyable, old school, successful in the vintage and suggests again that St Estèphe is a high spot in 2021, because so few 2nd wines have performed this well. 30% new oak, harvst September 23 to October 7. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux. 

The 2021 Les Pagodes de Cos, matured in 25% new oak, offers high-toned black fruit and touches of violet on the nose, which is perhaps just missing some amplitude at the moment. The solid palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins on the entry, a touch of graphite and white pepper, firm grip and a little spice on the finish. A structured Pagodes, just rather forceful at the moment. It should gain more grace during élevage. -Neal Martin, Vinous Media.