In Bond Fine Wine. 2023 Château Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux, France. Second Growth • Red Bordeaux in 6x75cl. Top critic score: 98/100 (AG). Drinking window: 2028–2065. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
A famed Second Growth and the leading estate in Saint Estephe, superbly situated adjacent to Lafite on the bend between Saint Estephe and Pauillac. Cos d'Estournel is a property that is constantly measuring itself against the First Growths in an effort to push quality even further, and with the vision of Jean-Guillaume Prats, Cos has achieved new heights with a superb run of vintages since 2001. The emphasis here is on detail and precision, in the vineyard and in the cellar where no expense has been spared; a a new modernist state-of-the-art chai opened in 2009, designed to use gravity flow to move the grapes and must, to minimise handling of the grapes and to allow each parcel to be vinified separately. Its second wine is the very good Pagodes de Cos. Cos is rich, aromatic and sumptuous in style. A wine to rival the First Growths.
Antonio Galloni (AG) — 98/100 · Vinous, 31/03/2026 · Drink 2033-2063
Antonio Galloni, March 2026 The 2023 Cos d'Estournel is just as compelling as it was en primeur. I especially admire how it balances textural richness and vibrancy. Crushed flowers, mint, spice, rose petal, mocha, lavender and new leather caress the palate. The balance here is just mind-blowing. Technical Director Dominique Arangoïts made all the right calls, that much is obvious. There is a tend…
Antonio Galloni (AG) — 96–98/100 · Vinous, 30/04/2024 · Drink 2033-2063
The 2023 Cos d'Estournel is fabulous. Dark, resonant and inviting, the 2023 has so much to offer. All the elements are beautifully woven together. Black cherry, plum, licorice, espresso, mocha and incense fill out the layers. Readers will find a Cos endowed with tremendous substance and intensity. I can't remember a young Cos with this much fruit concentration, yet there is nothing overdone here.…
Neal Martin (NM) — 94–96/100 · Vinous, 29/04/2024 · Drink 2033-2065
The 2023 Cos d'Estournel, picked from September 12 to 29 and matured in 50% new oak, blossoms in the glass. The aromatics deliver nearly immediate gratification: black cherries, wild strawberries, crushed violet petals and vanilla pod. It's all quite sumptuous but very well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled, slightly powdery tannins. It's beautifully balanced with a very p…