2019 Château Cos d'Estournel 2. Cru Saint-Estèphe

A very powerful and structured Cos. It's full and layered, but not overpowering in terms of fruit. It's more about the abundant, very fine tannins. It's a classic wine with historical grip and power. Real Bordeaux. Sophisticated and provocative.

The grand vin 2019 Château Cos D'Estournel is indeed grand and just about instantly transports you to the northern Médoc. Sensational notes of crème de cassis, lead pencil, unsmoked tobacco, new leather, and Asian spices all emerge from this gorgeous wine. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it shines for its incredible purity, balance, and elegance, with the vintage's seamless and sexy style front and center. It's not a blockbuster, but it's gorgeous in every way. It reminds me of a slightly softer version of the 2016.

Harvest for the grand vin began on the 23rd of September and finished on the 7th of October. Composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot (with no Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc this year), yields for this wine in 2019 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it is aging in 55% new oak. It came in at an alcohol level of 14.02% and an IPT of 67. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Cos d'Estournel soars out of the glass with vibrant black raspberries, Black Forest cake and crushed blackcurrants scents plus nuances of red roses, wild sage, dark chocolate and cast-iron pan with a waft of woodsmoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and built like a skyscraper, with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the concentrated black fruit flavors, finishing with incredible length and depth. This wine so beautifully, clearly captures the juxtaposition between the periods of dry heat and those hallelujah moments of refreshing rain - the hallmarks of this great vintage. It's a vinous masterpiece in the making.

The 2019 Cos d'Estournel was picked from 23 September to 7 October at 43hl/ha and matured in a judicious 55% new oak. It marks a serious and tangible upgrade over the Les Pagodes as you would expect: far more intensity, more fruit and complexity. It delivers gorgeous, very pure scents of blackberry, raspberry, crushed stone and just a hint of truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, pitch perfect acidity and a satin-like texture. One of the most harmonious Cos d'Estournel that I have encountered in barrel and, though it is not quite touching the same ethereal level, it reminds me of the 2016 towards the finish. Utterly divine.

The beautiful perfume of this stylish wine are the first impression. They set the scene for the wonderful black currant fruits and dark tannins that meld together on the palate. Made with 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, this structured wine shows long-term aging potential.