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
The 2016 Cos d'Estournel has quite an intense bouquet with blackberry, briar and mint, good intensity, gaining complexity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins, a little granular in texture, savoury with dried blood and peppercorns, though the finish veers round and delivers surprising finesse and tenderness. I feel this has closed down and, as I mentioned back in 2020 when it received a perfect score, it really needs a five or six year decant. Immense potential. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Luscious yet restrained, this is a classically-styled Cos, especially when you compare it to the exuberance of 2015. Cassis, cedar, sandalwood, incense, sculpted and very Left Bank, plenty of life in front but this is a little more ready than perhaps I expected it to be. Great quality, 100% new oak. Michel Reybier owner, Aymeric de Gironde director, in his last year in the role before heading over to Troplong Mondot.
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.
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.