Cos d'Estournel 2017

The final blend of the 2017 Cos d'Estournel is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Very deep purple-black in color, it offers up intense scents of crushed blackcurrants, blackberries and black cherries with touches of incense, spice cake, star anise and plum preserves plus a perfumed hint of potpourri. The palate is medium-bodied with very firm yet wonderfully ripe, "sweet", fine-grained tannins at just 13% alcohol—something of a miracle in our modern times. The palate sports fantastic freshness and tons of energy emitted from the intensely perfumed black fruit layers, finishing on an epically long-lingering mineral note. Truly profound. Moderate stress has a way of sending living things – in this case, vines and people – in one direction or the other. This is the thought that ran through my head following my separate tastings at Cos d’Estournel. Due to its proximity to the Gironde estuary, at least there was no frost this year at Cos d’Estournel to get stressed about. Flowering took place on May 22, which was exceedingly early. In June, there were early signs of water stress and the vines were slowing down and sluggish, according to technical director Dominique Arangoïts. But the vines at this vineyard are now coming in at an average age of 55 years old, which suggests they are capable of managing a bit of water stress. Thankfully, by the end of June, there was enough rain to reinvigorate the vines. This hydric stress appears to have equated to the formation of relatively small, thick-skinned berries in 2017. Thanks to the early flowering, it was an early start to the harvest: September 12. Harvest continued through until the end of the month. Apart from the stress of the rains at harvest to contend with, the Chateau’s managing director, Aymeric de Gironde, suddenly upped-sticks and headed over to Troplong-Mondot during harvest. (As an aside, I must mention that Aymeric de Gironde went on to achieve a truly amazing 2017 at his new estate.) When I taste a wine that is, apparently against the odds, an incredible achievement, it fascinates me no end to study the how and the why. I hasten to add, I arrived at Cos d’Estournel for my second tasting of this wine completely unannounced, upon which I was cordially welcomed and invited to taste from the same bottle that a local merchant was sampling. This was tasted fifteen days after my first visit and the wine was looking even more extraordinary, having opened-out just a bit more to reveal glimpses at a vast array of underlying, tightly-wound yet seriously intense aromas and flavors. The frame remained as rock-solid as the first time I tasted it, sporting tannins so beautifully ripe they should serve as textbook examples. Here is a wine of incredible grace and depth, which should unfurl slowly, over many years, offering excellent cellaring potential. Yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hl/ha. 60% new oak is being used for the maturation. The 2017 barrel samples I tasted are the final blends and are already composed in the cellar. Drinking window: 2025 - 2065. 98+/100. Lisa Perrotti-Brown. April 2018.

Quite the bottle here! Spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as dried meat and plums with cedar and sandalwood. Full body. Deep and dense in the center palate and a long, long finish. Shows finesse and tightness. Very polished tannins. Long and ethereal. Try after 2023.

66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot N’ayons pas peur des mots, et je l’annonce d’entrée, Cos d’Estournel 2017 est brillant. Son bouquet révèle de nombreuses facettes et permet à la fraîcheur, aux notes fruitées et au terroir de parfaitement cohabiter ou plutôt harmoniser. Agréables notes de menthe, de myrtilles, de framboises et de graphite. La mise en bouche est à la hauteur de ce que le nez annonce ; elle est élégante, friande et légèrement crémeuse. Ce Cos est très précis en bouche ; les tannins sont fins mais puissants et ont la matière nécessaire pour s’accommoder d’une structure qui a du tempérament et du pep. Un grand Cos d’Estournel qui n’a pas à rougir entre le 2016 et le 2018. Il est dans la course. Complètement. 2024-2044. 10.12.2019.

Couleur rouge, sombre, intense et belle. Nez moyennement aromatique et encore discret. Dense à l’attaque, volumineux en milieu de bouche et plutôt rond, le vin évolue suave vers une finale un brin âpre, de longueur normale. Assemblage : 66 % cabernet sauvignon, 32 % merlot, 1 % cabernet franc, 1 % petit verdot. Sélection : 40 % de la production.

Couleur rouge, sombre, intense et belle. Nez moyennement aromatique et encore discret. Dense à l’attaque, volumineux en milieu de bouche et plutôt rond, le vin évolue suave vers une finale un brin âpre, de longueur normale. Assemblage : 66 % cabernet sauvignon, 32 % merlot, 1 % cabernet franc, 1 % petit verdot. Sélection : 40 % de la production. Drinking window: 2026 - 2040. Jane Anson. April 2018.

Barrel Sample. This impressive wine is serious, dense and richly endowed with great swathes of black plum. An excellent wine from this estate, ripe black fruits, layers of acidity and dark tannins are perfectly poised. This is a wine for long-term aging. Roger Voss.