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Cos d'Estournel 2021

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Estèphe
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

Cos d'Estournel is in Saint Estèphe but borders Pauillac and, in particular, the vineyards of Château Lafite. Quality was good in the 1990s but, since the 2001 vintage, it has reached another level. In some vintages the quality level is not far from that of the first growths. The stunning winery is one of the most modern and sophisticated in all of Bordeaux, with a 100% gravity-fed cellar.

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Label

Tasting Notes

The 2021 Cos d'Estournel is one of the denser, more muscular wines of the vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, cassis, charcoal, sweet cigar wrapper and subtle hints of smoked meats, framed by a touch of toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's rich and quite concentrated for the vintage, with a chassis of sweet, generously extracted tannin and a long, lusty finish. Drink 2026-2045.

93+
William Kelley, RobertParker.com, February 2024

The 2021 Cos d'Estournel has an attractive nose, more complex than the Pagodes (as you would expect), graphite and subtle cigar box scents permeating the black fruit and the Cabernet Sauvignon more expressive at this stage vis-à-vis the Merlot. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. One of the most velvety Cos d'Estournel wines I have encountered at this stage, though linear and strict on the saline finish. This is old-school in some ways, and a bit grumpy in its youth – a wine that will oblige cellar aging. A Saint-Estèphe for the patient among you. (12.74% alcohol)

93/95
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2022

The yield here was 35 hl/ha - only slightly less than normal. With no chaptalisation or resverse osmosis the alcohol is a modest 12.74% from 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The extraction was gentle and the new oak toned down to 55%. Deep ruby colour. The nose is spice-laden at this stage, but there is an exotic red fruit character underneath. The palate has the same mark of wood at the moment but bright acidity and cool black fruit push through with more success. This is a narrow, focused wine for now that is more vertical than broad. Chewy, grippy tannins and high acid offer ample structure. Liquorice, cedar, star anise and cool blackcurrant fruit together with rosemary on the finish.

91/94
Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners, April 2022

A firm red with solid, compact tannins. Medium to full body with plenty of blackcurrant, pencil-lead and graphite character. Compact and structured throughout, with a firm finish. Linear and muscular tannins at the end that are very formed and curated. It will be interesting to see how this one evolves. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, May 2022

The 2021 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it struts out of the glass with classic scents of blackcurrant pastilles, ripe juicy plums, and cedar chest, followed by hints of crushed rocks, pencil shavings, and cinnamon stick. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is tightly wound with firm, grainy tannins and integrated freshness supporting the intense, mineral-laced fruit, finishing long and savory.
2028-2060

93/95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2022

This vintage, which can be overly straight and austere, benefits from the house style of Cos, where they are happy to add a twist of gourmet glamour, and I am seriously impressed with this wine. It showcases the successful sides of a cool vintage in spades, with bitter black chocolate, cool blue fruits, lemongrass and turmeric and black pepper spices. 55% new oak. 3.79ph. 53% of overall production is for the 1st wine, the rest in Pagodes. Easily one of the wines of the vintage.

96
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, April 2022

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Dark and reticent with a touch of cassis as the wine opens. Linear and firm with a rich but fine tannic frame. Solid through the mid palate and on through the finish. Structured and with plenty of matière. Well within itself so room to develop. (JL) 12.7%
Drink 2030 – 2050

17+
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2022
Read more tasting notes...

The 2021 Cos d'Estournel is very promising, offering up rich aromas of dark berries, plums, exotic spices, loamy soil and rose petals, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless palate that's impressively vibrant and concentrated, with powdery tannins, bright acids and a long, penetrating finish. Only 53% of the production made it into the grand vin, and the blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Technical director Dominique Arangoïts reports that Cos was spared by frost and coulure at flowering, harvesting between September 23 and October 4, and fermenting a touch hotter than has been the case in recent years, at around 28-29 degrees Celsius.

94/95
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (260), April 2022
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.