2016 Cos d'Estournel
Buying options
Tasting notes
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.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Wine Enthusiast
More reviews and scores
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.
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).
Fresh and lush with lots of fruit within quite a marked structure. Not quite ready yet but clearly a very superior wine. (JR)
About the producer
Louis Gaspard d’Estournel inherited Cos and Pomys in 1791, founding Cos d’Estournel in 1811, investing significantly in the property and expanding the estate from 14 to 45 hectares. The estate rapidly rose to prominence and the wines were exported around the world.