2018 Château Cos d'Estournel

Community Tasting Notes (34) Avg Score: 95.1 points

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  2/3/2024 - RickyBobby62 Likes this wine: 95 Points

  95. Beautiful bouquet. Blackberry fruit, then a coffee taste, with a vanilla finish. Really good now.

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  9/9/2023 - Eriklainen wrote:

  Full throttle BDX. Napa-esque. There is warmth but it holds alcohol well. Tons of fruit. Almost syrupy
  I mean it is all there but it is just so much. 2016 is anorexic by comparison.

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  9/3/2023 - Cailles wrote: 88 Points

  Bordeaux 2018 - 5 Years On - 7 Reds: Time to check in on some top 2018s, and the initial observations were all confirmed: A) This is obviously the ripest, sweetest Bordeaux vintage in the last decade. While only one wine (Cos d'Estournel, 88pts) was overripe and overdone, two others (Calon Segur - 94pts, Grand Puy Lacoste - 91pts) are not for purists and are quite sweet - at least this young. B) Despite the ripeness, the wines are generally very balanced and harmonious, not as extracted or thick as many 2009/2010s. C) The structural frames are of high quality with ultra-fine tannins and good acid backbones. However, with so many other great vintages produced in recent years, this is not the vintage to chase - especially for purists. The group winner was the highly elegant, seductive yet aristocratic Pichon Lalande (rated 95pts), just ahead of my WOTN, the floral, perfumed, airy Canon (96pts).
  
  TN: Holy shit, that’s troubling! Two bottles of Cos tasted double blind, both bought En Primeur from different sources, both stored in different cellars under ideal conditions and both bottles showed worrisome signs of decline with soy sauce notes and some hints of oxidation that reminded me of many over-extracted, overripe (and today dead) wines of the first decade of this century. Both bottles opened with very ripe, slightly overripe red berries, earthy notes and crushed rocks… and then all the Cos spiciness. With time oxidation and soy sauce notes become more and more noticeable. The structure is impeccable, but the wine seems to be already on a downward path. In the best moments this was drinking quite well and on a 92-ish level but in hindsight, all these concerning notes of decay and the overripeness make the 88pts rather seem generous.
  
  Decanting: The first bottle decanted for two hours, the second not decanted. Consistent results.

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  6/19/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 90 Points

  Part of a small Bordeaux 2018 5-years on tasting. The wines were partially served single-blind. Main observations: 1/ the vintage pairs concentration and ripeness with weightless and elegant structures. 2/ tannins are generally finely grained and well-integrated. 3/ Extraction levels managed well with only 1 instance of heat and no overripe fruit. 4/ Best bottles were Canon and Pichon Longueville.
  
  Tasting note:
  Deeply earthy with a cool mineral fundament. Ripe and extracted blueberry and dark cherry. Unfortunately there was notable heat as well and distracting oak. This felt engineered, same on the palate which showed rather imbalanced , astringent and out of whack. But more sweet and fruity in the second pour, hence could still improve with some time.

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  6/19/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 86 Points

  Part of a small Bordeaux 2018 5-years on tasting. The wines were partially served single-blind. Main observations: 1/ the vintage pairs concentration and ripeness with weightless and elegant structures. 2/ tannins are generally finely grained and well-integrated. 3/ Extraction levels managed well with only 1 instance of heat and no overripe fruit. 4/ Best bottles were Canon and Pichon Longueville.
  
  Tasting note:
  Decanted 2h. Fresh from the bottle this appeared to be singing. But after the decant this came across rather restrained and closed, an unexpected anis and menthol touch. Earthy bases but very subtle The palate was stern with a long finish and grippy tannin. In the end something didn‘t tie up here and the group was wondering if this was a bad bottle. Had a second bottle blind which was better, but still far from greatness.

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