Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2017

Château Cos d'Estournel 2017 is an exceptionally refined, balanced, and expressive Left Bank red wine from the prestigious Saint-Estèphe appellation of Bordeaux. Crafted from a classic blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, it is aged in French oak barrels (60% new) to develop rich structural complexity. In the glass, it exhibits a deep garnet-purple core. The bouquet unfurls with captivating aromas of preserved plum, blackcurrant, and boysenberry intertwined with violet petals, sandalwood, cassis, Indian spices, and crushed gravel. On the palate, it is medium- to full-bodied, delivering dense dark berry fruit, vibrant natural acidity, and silky, polished tannins that extend into a long, ethereal, spice-laced finish.

Food Pairing: Pairs wonderfully with roasted rack of lamb, prime ribeye steak, braised beef short ribs, venison stew, and aged hard cheeses.

98 Points - James Suckling

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.

98 Points - Wine Advocate

Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!

95 Points - Wine Enthusiast