
Château Cos d'Estournel, 2eme Cru Classé, St Estèphe, 2016
Aymeric de Gironde described 2016 as an 'atypical year'. At the middle of June the spectre of 2013 loomed, but then the weather turned dramatically, and the rest is history… There is a definite transition going on at Cos. Amyeric himself explained that the team are picking earlier, using higher yields and using very gentle extractions; focussing on a 'classic ripe' style, rather than the trend for lower yields and super-ripeness. This is an admirable change in direction and the 2016 is certainly more vibrant and charming than recent vintages. There are gravelly, Morello cherry notes, hints of wild strawberries, Victoria plums and cherry stones. It will be fascinating to see if this fleshes out. It's a new and interesting philosophy - time will tell if it has worked... Produced from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
Deep garnet in color, the 2016 Cos d'Estournel is quite closed to start, requiring a lot of coaxing to bring out profound notions of creme de cassis, wild blueberries, black cherry compote, and rose oil, leading to suggestions of Indian spices, crushed rocks, and dried lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is both opulent and energetic, revealing loads of perfumed black fruit layers and a plush, polished texture, finishing with epic length and depth.
Exceptional quality, silky tannins, cinammon, turmeric, cloves, grilled liqourice root, crushed rocks, almost seamless, so full of life and character, and brambled fruit. Chcooate, damson, so juicy and characterful, and singing of St Estèphe character, this is the appellation at its best. Decades ahead of it. Shame about the heavy bottle. 100% new oak.Michel Reybier owner, Aymeric de Gironde director (his last year in the role before heading over to Troplong Mondot).
In my last sighted review of the 2016 Cos d’Estournel, I wrote: "I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth." Perhaps it is already beginning to shut down, because though this wine was deeply impressive, it fell just a notch short of ethereal previous bottles, despite its "pixelated black fruit" on the nose and "sublime balance" on the palate. I tasted the wine twice thereafter, though this time with a 4-6 hour decant, and this revealed the Cos d'Estournel that has amazed since I first tasted it out of barrel.
The 2016 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc aged in 65% new and 35% two-year-old French oak for 15 months. Bottled in July 2018, it is deep garnet-purple colored and starts off a little closed and reticent, opening out slowly and seductively to reveal beautiful lilacs, rose hip tea, crushed stones and camphor nuances over a core of creme de cassis, kirsch, wild blueberries and mocha plus wafts of incense and wood smoke. The palate is simply electric, charged with an energy and depth of flavors that seem to defy the elegance and ethereal nature of its medium-bodied weight, featuring super ripe, densely pixelated tannins that firmly frame the myriad of fruit and floral sparks, finishing with epic length. Just. Magic.
product details
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