2019 - Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estephe

Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, the 2019 Cos d'Estournel is deep garnet-purple in color. It is slightly closed to begin, revealing slow-emerging scents of baked black cherries, mulberries, fragrant earth, and potpourri, leading to a core of warm cassis and pencil shavings. The medium to full-bodied palate is rock-solid, well-supporting the tightly wound, muscular black fruit, finishing with plenty of freshness and a minerally lift. It will require another 4-5 years to emerge from this cocoon and spread its wings.

The 2019 Cos d'Estournel is tasted from two bottles, the first not representative. The second has a perfumed bouquet with blackberry and raspberry fruit, sous-bois, and light spicy scents. The palate is medium-bodied with finely sculpted tannins, fresh and tensile, gradually building with a mineral-rich and very persistent finish. Vibrant and energetic, this Cos d'Estournel is built for the long-term. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

The 2019 Cos d'Estournel has turned out brilliantly, exhibiting aromas of minty cassis, sweet wild berries and wild plums mingled with hints of spices, loamy soil and potpourri. Full-bodied, broad and enveloping, it's polished and seamless, its ample chassis of fine, velvety tannin entirely concealed in its deep core of succulent, crunchy fruit. Beautifully integrated at this early stage, the last decade has witnessed a number of changes at this address, including a trend toward less aggressively late picking, cooler fermentations and élevage with fewer rackings and more moderate percentages of less heavily toasted new oak: in 2019, the results speak for themselves.

Powerful, concentrated and textured black cherry, cassis and blueberry fruits, laden with black truffle, cocoa bean and liquorice root. Reduction on the first nose gives a gunsmoke edge, this is full of personality and opens to show fresh acidities and finessed tannins. Such a good vintage at this estate, one to cellar for a good few years and then luxuriate in when it's ready. 40hl/h.

Tasted blind. Second bottle – more evolution on the nose. Loose and fresh. Salinity came out. (JR)