"One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel is a monument in the making...98-100 points" Jebdunnuck.com
Released this afternoon for sale en primeur, 2022 Château Cos d'Estournel and its second and 'third' wines Pagodes and 'G' d'Estournel were high on our list of favourite wines from this year's cask tastings.
This is not always the case, even though the wines are always impeccably made and slickly presented. Often, difficult to taste, the grand vin can be rather austere and charmless. The 2022 was a revelation, with huge intensity and majestic tannins, but also a creamy texture and an energy that made it thrilling to taste. James Suckling nailed the finish in his note, describing it as starting off "full-bodied and flavorful, but continues to unfold in an energetic and weightless way".
Our tasting at Cos was also one of the most illuminating when it came to understanding the 2022 vintage. We tasted with an off-duty winemaker who seemed to be a bit de-mob happy at being let at the public. He spoke with great passion about how the recent string of hot years has given the vines a 'memory' of how to respond. This is all based on the science of how plants can respond to classical conditioning stimuli and undergo epigenetic changes in a matter of a few seasons. This would go a long way to explain the extraordinary quality of the 2022 vintage.
Pagodes de Cos (£460 per dozen) and the 'third' wine, Le 'G' d'Estournel (£245 per dozen), which in fact comes from a separate estate in the Médoc, were just as entrancing in their own way, with clear DNA linking them to the grand vin, both with wonderful texture and a saline character in Pagodes which we loved.
If you ever plan to have wines from this château in your cellar, we suggest this is a vintage to own.
Bordeaux En Primeur, Landing in spring 2025.
To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
RED | 2022 | Château Cos d'Estournel | 75cl | £1,116 per case of 6 | Château Cos d'Estournel 2022 / / 75cl £1,116 per case of 6 |
IB | |||||
Tasting Notes"The 2022 Cos d'Estournel unwinds in the glass with aromas of sweet berries, plum liqueur and rich spices, followed by a full-bodied, broad-shouldered and muscular palate that's rich and structured, with a ripe core of fruit and chewy tannins. Harvest dates were relatively early this year, and maturation is occurring in only 50% new oak; yet the 2022's chunky, glass-staining style makes it Ducru Beaucaillou's only rival for the title of most extracted second growth of the Médoc. 93-95 points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2022 Cos d'Estournel is stunning. Rich and statuesque in bearing, the 2022 captures all the best this vintage had to offer. A wine of precision and power, the 2022 balances the intensity of the year but without veering into the realm of the exotic, as was the case in vintages such as 2005 and 2009. It marries ripeness and classical rigor in a style that is quite appealing. I imagine the 2022 will need a good 15-20 years to be at its finest. Harvest took place between September 7 and 23, exceptionally early. 95-97 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com------"The 2022 Cos d'Estournel was picked from 7 to 23 September at 33hL/ha and is aged in 50% new oak (one cannot imagine that being countenanced 15-20 years ago). It has an overtly floral nose with wilted violets infusing the precocious yet controlled black fruit. There's fine delineation, impressive focus and energy. The palate is smooth and silky on the entry with pliant, sculpted tannins. The acidity is well judged (3.79pH) with white pepper and a graphite element toward the persistent finish. Quintessential Cos d'Estournel, this wine will mature for many years, although the jury's out on whether it will surpass triumphs like the 2016 or 2019/20. 2030-2065. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com------"Inky colour with violet edging, this is full of intense damson, incense, baked plum and black chocolate. A huge quantity of tannins but the texture is velvety, giving a creamy edge to the fruits, with contrast and freshness provided by orange zest and slate. Some of the old Merlot vines on gravel were picked early to tame them but generally the vineyard took the vintage in its stride, and almost 75% of production is in the 1st wine. Harvest September 7 to 23, 33hl/h yield, 90IPT, 50% new oak. Potential upscore in bottle. 97 points" janeanson.com------"Unique structure to this wine and very Cos with all the spices and dark fruits. Tobacco and cedar. It's starts off full-bodied and flavorful, but continues to unfold in an energetic and weightless way. Savory and primary. Al dente grapes here. Exciting and thought-provoking. 98-99 points" jamessuckling.com------"One of the finest wines to ever pass my lips, the 2022 Château Cos D'Estournel is a monument in the making. Based on 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this saturated ruby/purple-hued Saint-Estèphe offers a full-bodied, massive, opulent style as well as perfumed red, blue, and black fruits, ample spice, chocolate, graphite, and lead pencil-like aromatics, a stacked mid-palate, flawless balance, and a monster of a finish. An improved version of the 2009 (if that's possible), this is a legendary wine in the making. Hats off to Michel Reybier and technical director Dominique Arangoïts. 98-100 points" Jebdunnuck.com |
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