Cos d'Estournel 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2008

Black-purple-red, deeply concentrated blackcurrant fruit, full, plummy, slightly smoky, even exotic with superb internal mostly Cabernet) ripeness, vibrant and vigorous, very good length.

The medium to deep garnet colored 2008 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Pow! The nose explodes with notes of baked cherries, preserved plums, fried herbs, beef drippings and warm cassis with wafts of wood smoke, salami and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and earthy/savory in character, sporting beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

The 2008 Cos d’Estournel had one of the most backward, reticent bouquets that I encountered during my tasting. This is so sultry and broody, begrudgingly offering some lovely brambly red fruit mixed with pencil box. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, plenty of black fruit laced with allspice, black pepper and sage, leading to a dense and concentrated finish that should see this age for 20 or 30 years. It does not really serve as a forerunner to the blockbuster 2009 because this is cut from a completely different cloth. (Tasted at BI Wine & Spirit’s annual 10-Year On tasting.)

A delicate and pretty Cos. Aromas of blackberries, cherries and spices follow through to a full body, with fine tannins and a chocolate, berry and light coffee character. Long and caressing. Give it a a few years of bottle age before opening.

Closed but promising, this is a classic Cos revealing lots of tannin along with damp earth, black currant, sweet black cherry, graphite, licorice and truffle characteristics. This medium to full-bodied, structured, firm, broodingly backward, impenetrable effort demands 5-6 years of bottle age; it should drink well for 20-25 years.
The inky/purple-hued 2008 Cos reveals exceptionally precise, fresh aromas of black fruits, crushed rocks, licorice, flowers, and subtle smoke. Dense and high in tannin, the extraordinary richness of polyphenols has given the wine power, substance, and depth, but the sweetness of the tannin and the seemingly low acidity has given the wine a precision and elegance that is remarkable. ...This wine should gain weight, richness, and a few Parker points by the time it is bottled. It is even denser and richer than the 1996. It should evolve for 30-35 years.

Good deep ruby-red. Complex aromas and flavors of currant, raspberry, smoke, musky dried herbs, sexy oak tones and minerals. Rich, broad and lush; big, rich and sweet but with an edge of acidity giving lift and grip to the middle palate. At once sexy and serious wine, finishing with broad, horizontal tannins and excellent length.

(85% cabernet sauvignon, 13% merlot and 2% cabernet franc; 13.8 % alcohol; 80% new oak) Saturated purple-ruby. Complex, sexy aromas of plum, dark chocolate and balsamic vinegar. The silky flavors of blackcurrant, tobacco and sweet oak show extraordinary baby fat and volume. Wonderfully rich and extremely powerful wine with a very long, perfumed back end. One of the best wines from Cos in years and a candidate for one of the ten top wines of the vintage, this will age effortlessly. The quality of this wine may well be partly due to the spectacular new cellar facility at Cos where the use of a liquid carbon dioxide cooling tunnel now limits possible oxidation of grapes.