Les Pagodes de Cos 2018

The 2018 Pagodes de Cos has quite a precise bouquet of exuberant black cherries, kirsch and violet aromas, aromatics that want to make an impression. It retains just about enough delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, and slightly granular in texture, with a bit of chewiness on the finish. But there is plenty of freshness here and it lingers on the aftertaste. Give this 2–3 years to cohere. 2022-2030

Pure aromas of currants, plums, cherries and Spanish cedar follow through to a full body with super concentration of fruit, yet forever polished and long. A cylinder of wonderfully ripe fruit and tannins goes on for minutes. This needs at least three or four years to soften and begin to come together. Super second wine. Try after 2027.

The 2018 Les Pagodes de Cos (14.51% alcohol) is a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc, aging in 20% new barriques. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with bold notions of Morello cherries, blackcurrant pastilles, plum preserves and spice cake with suggestions of pencil shavings and bouquet garni. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with spicy black fruits, framed by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering savory note. Drink: 2022-2036

Full of liquorice and dark chocolate, the nose is immediately seductive. This is a second wine that's full of fleshy, sexy, bright fruit and real elegance. It's a lovely wine, if clearly marked by the generosity of the vintage. The 30hl/ha yield was affected by a mix of mildew and some concentration in September. To control extractions, they macerated at a lower temperature of 27-28°C. As with the grand vin, this is aged in 20% new oak, down a little on the usual amount. 3% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

Drinking Window 2024 - 2036

Tasted blind. Charry blackberries on the nose with structure and real follow-through. Some St-Estèphe stoniness discernible through the fruit. Long. 14.5%
Drink 2026 – 2040

54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Barrel sample.
Dark core with purple rim. Sweeter and spicier than the Goulée (Cos's Médoc wine) just tasted. Bramble and mulberry fragrance. Excellent freshness and finesse in the tannins, dry, compact but lifted by the scented fruit and unusual brightness. Powerful and chalky on the finish. Very good balance already. Long and classy. (JH) 14.9%
Drink 2028-2038

Deep ruby in colour, with a creamy nose of cherries, vanilla and cassis. The palate is juicy and plump but still firm with mouthcoating tannins. This adds weight and harmony, as do the waves of vibrant acidity. The spice builds onto the finish, with a lightly toasty char, but this is well integrated into the fruit and adds a savoury complexity.

The true second wine of the estate, the 2018 Pagodes De Cos is sensational stuff and clocks in at 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that saw slightly more new oak than usual. Blueberries, cassis, crushed violets, and classy oak all flow to a medium to full-bodied effort that has incredible class and elegance as well as texture. Fresh, clean, and beautifully balanced, it’s a terrific wine in its own right.

(54 Cabernet Sauvignon, 37 Merlot, 6 Petit Verdot, 3 Cabernet Franc) | 20% new oak | 14.5% alc | 30 hl/ha | 33% production goes into this wine | 72 IPT Rather controlled, a little quiet and introverted, rather in the shadow of the Grand Vin and rather closed and reticent, too. I am sure that this will unravel and show its charms in due course.