Château Cos d'Estournel 2012

Superb texture with dense, silky tannins and a racy, fresh, long finish of black berries: beautifully crafted, a classic Cos, of exquisite harmony and the utmost precision. Superb.

Solid, with pure lilac and violet notes out front, backed by slightly taut plum, currant and bitter cherry flavors that unwind slowly through the finish. This has good drive, cut and intensity, and is one of the better efforts of the vintage. -- Non-blind Cos-d'Estournel vertical (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2028. 15,917 cases made.

94–96. Barrel sample. Big and rich with lots of chocolate and ripe black-plum fruits, this is a very structured wine, showing some extraction but also spice and sweet tannins. Powerful, but with a finish that is like a cool breeze.

Deep-coloured, richly flavoured claret with an immediate and abundant ‘attack’, which then rather fades away. Will undoubtedly keep well but will always lack the class of a more successful year.

Always excellent for the vintage. What a nose with currants, blackberries, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stones and wet earth too. Full-bodied and refined yet muscular and trim. Fabulously polished tannins. Try drinking in 2020.

Deep in color, with Asian spice, licorice, espresso and wet earth scents open the wine. On the palate, the wine is polished, round and smooth, with cassis, licorice, cocoa, coffee bean and black cherries in the finish.

Dark ruby with purple reflections and a touch of brightness at the rim. Fine hints of cassis and liquorice, Black Forest berry jam, and a pleasant herbal savouriness on the nose. The palate is juicy and elegant, with good complexity and a supportive tannin structure. A nougat note on the finish, showing good length, with notes of orange on the aftertaste. Has a promising future.

Roasted and dark fruity, hints of vanilla, spices, inky dark fruit, very dense, ripe and full palate with layers of chocolate and dark fruit, opulent yet with a classic backbone of freshness and grainy tannin, very long and powerful finish, excellent material.

The 2012 from Cos d’Estournel is a streamlined, elegant version of this cuvée, offering first-rate notes of crème de cassis, graphite, smoked herbs and saddle leather, with hints of oak pushed into the background. Supple, medium- to full-bodied and charming, yet with enough tannin to warrant short-term cellaring, give bottles 5–6 years in the cellar and enjoy over the following two decades.

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 50% of the crop went into the Grand Vin. Production: 140,000 bottles. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Wonderful coffee bouquet, cedarwood, light leather notes, a very delicate hint of currants; moderately deep on the attack and, in terms of weight, rather elegant, yet somehow also restrained. The palate is refined, shows class and a beautiful balance; the tannins are gentle, the finish is persistent, and just when you think you’ve reached the end, a few quite sinewy muscles come through. This feels more like a hallmark of the Saint Estèphe appellation than a signature of Cos. It will therefore, for once, tend to develop in a more classic direction.

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 50% of the crop went into the Grand Vin. Production: 140,000 bottles. Extremely dark purple with lilac and violet highlights. Gorgeous coffee bouquet, cedarwood, light leather notes, a very delicate hint of currants, medium depth on the attack and, in terms of intensity, more elegant yet somehow also rather reserved. The palate is refined, shows class and a beautiful balance; the tannins are gentle, the finish is persistent and just when you think you have gauged the ending, a few quite sinewy muscles come into play. This feels more like a signature of the Saint Estèphe appellation than a defining trait of Cos. It will therefore tend to develop in a more classic direction this time. (18/20). 18: In the same week I also tasted other 2012s. This Cos knows how to impress, from the colour through to the finish. Very dark, in any case darker than many other competitors. The nose is spicy, distinctly toasty, with lots of coffee and soy sauce, dark bread, and black berries underneath. On the palate it is concentrated and fleshy, yet surprisingly remains fine. 18/20.

Herbs, a dark, powerful bouquet, blackcurrant, elderberry, chalk, mint. Fresh, silky, dense palate with good fruit, fine tannins, complex aromatics, a classic structure, and a long, refined finish. Can still improve. 17/20 2019 - 2038

Plenty of exotic spices—saffron, clove, black pepper, turmeric, cassis—along with sandalwood, gunpowder and cedar smoke. Both character and bite, with plenty of impact. Making up 50% of overall production, this is a successful Cos d'Estournel with plenty to recommend, capturing the gourmet sweetness of the vintage. 70% new oak.

The 2012 Cos d'Estournel is medium to deep garnet-purple colored. It features notes of mocha, cedar chest, and licorice over a core of warm cassis and blackberry preserves with a hint of wild sage. The medium-bodied palate has a chewy backbone of oak-inspired tannins with delicate fruit and an herbal, lifted finish.

An excellent evolution for a wine whose vinosity and harmony far surpass those of second wines from Pauillac from the same vintage. And it is far from having said its last word.

It has now reached a lovely point of balance. It offers plenty of smoothness, with a velvety, very seductive mouthfeel. The fruit is there, still generous, and the finish tightens up nicely on notes of fine freshness, with a hint of menthol.

A Cos with a velvet touch, supple and tender, full of charm; the oak (70% new) isn’t noticeable, yet the wine has a fine depth and is full and concentrated. The grand vin accounts for 50% of production.

A deep, well-defined purple. An elegant, refined bouquet with notes of graphite, cedar, candied fruit and mint. The palate opens with a smooth, fruity attack. Good volume on the mid-palate, with a fresh, dense character. A fine balance between structure and slightly grainy tannins. Fruity finish. A graceful wine and a very fine success.

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Dark, intense, beautiful, deep purple colour. Moderately expressive nose with pure, ripe, truffle-tinged fruit. Supple from the first sip, juicy through the mid-palate, melting, full and powerful, very flavoursome; even if the tannin is slightly present, the wine finishes long and sappy.