Pagodes de Cos 2016

This has good energy, with a light briar note through the mix of raspberry, plum and cherry paste flavors. Subtle chalk and iron streaks add texture and cut on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2031. 18,333 cases made.

Coffee, toast and caramel on a nose that is slightly lacking in fruit; improved on the palate. Crisp acidity, rich fruit and a cool mineral vein running through. Plenty of fleshiness and substance make this an enjoyable glass.

A red with very deep and intense fruit character, yet rich tannins to back it all up. Full-bodied, layered and powerful. The second wine of Cos d’Estournel is serious again in 2016. Try from 2025.

51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 47% of the production. Cask sample. Juicy, fresh and balanced. More linear than last year with finely etched tannins. Precise but lacks a bit of excitement. (JL)

Fully ready to go, the wine opens with smoky, Morello cherries, spice, cocoa with a hint of blueberries. Medium-bodied, soft-textured, sweet, and spicy, the finish leaves you with sweet cherries and a dash of Indian-spiced chocolate. Drink from 2024-2030.

Dark ruby, with an opaque core, purple reflections, and a discreet bright rim. On the nose ripe cherry fruit, delicate hints of plum, fresh orange zest, with tobacco nuances, and some nougat. Juicy, elegant, discreet sweet fruit, well-integrated tannins, a fine acid structure, and a touch of nougat on the finish, and with a cherry flavour on the back palate.

The second wine of the estate is no slouch. The 2016 Pagodes de Cos has some grand vin character in its cassis and graphite aromas and flavors. Showing more incense, graphite, and hints of flowers with air time, this medium to full-bodied, rounded, beautifully textured effort is well worth a case purchase. Drink this beauty, the equal to most estates’ top wines, while you wait on the grand vin to come around.

50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46.5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc. Purple with a garnet sheen at the rim. Playful bouquet with plenty of violet, followed by sour cherries and cherry tobacco. On the full-bodied palate with a silky texture; then the tannins take hold, giving the wine a sinewy feel, with a delicate astringency on the finish.

Kunz barrel sample 17: (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46.5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc, 13.02% vol. alcohol) Spicy, mineral bouquet, black cherries, tobacco, cedar, mocha, mint. Silky, medium-bodied, elegant palate with fine, sweet fruit, dense structure, good tannins, powerful aromatics, long, full, sweet finish. Has room to improve.

Violet nose, floral, small red berries, a hint of vanilla. Fresh palate, crisp and juicy, spicy, very silky tannins, lovely length.

The nose is refined and shows minerality, a touch of structure and a fine concentration. It reveals notes of blackcurrant, wild blackberry and, more subtly, wild red berries, alongside delicate hints of Cubeb pepper, cocoa, toast and toasted hazelnut. The palate is fruity, juicy, supple and balanced, with good definition, a fleshy feel, solid structure, fine-grained tannins, bright freshness, attractive minerality, a lovely sense of drive/energy and a tangy backbone. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of crisp/juicy blackcurrant, juicy cherry and, more subtly, fleshy raspberry and fleshy/juicy blueberry, accompanied by discreet touches of tonka bean, cardamom and floral notes (in the background), plus an almost imperceptible hint of hazelnut and tea (in the background). The tannins are fine and well handled. A very subtle touch of grey pepper appears on the finish.

Dark, intense, vibrant color. Medium-intensity nose with ripe fruit. Smooth on the attack, melting through the mid-palate, very aromatic and juicy; the wine caresses the palate on the finish. It ends long and, above all, so good you don’t want to spit it out.

The 2016 Pagodes de Cos is deep garnet in color. It gallops out with vibrant notes of crushed blackcurrants, warm blackberries, and Morello cherries, plus suggestions of tilled soil, tapenade, and iron ore. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is wonderfully elegant, with delicately played, silky tannins and fantastic tension framing the perfumed fruit, finishing on a mineral note.

Dense and full of dark fruits, this second wine from Cos d'Estournel comes from specific parcels. With blackberry fruits and rich, generous tannins, the wine has weight and concentration. The freshness at the end is so typical of the vintage. Drink from 2023.

The 2016 Les Pagodes de Cos has a wonderful bouquet of vibrant, expressive red berry fruit, strawberry and raspberry, conveying a tangible sense of mineralité and tension; the new oak is very well integrated here. The balanced palate offers fine-boned tannins and very well judged acidity. Utterly harmonious, with a caressing and beautifully poised finish. This is a top-class Saint-Estèphe that will age with panache. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.

Vivid chalky character to the tannins, pumice stone and juicy oyster shell salinity, this is a beautiful Pagodes, full of joy, seductive tannins, damson and black cherry fruit, great stuff. Harvest September 12 to 29, 20% new oak. In organic conversion, should be confirmed in 2026, after buying new vines so needed to start again.

Purple with violet highlights. Such density and aromatic freshness. Intense notes of cherry and blackberry, followed by a touch of coffee and freshly baked bread. The attack mirrors the nose perfectly, especially on the fruit. Compact, creamy, well-balanced character. The tannins emerge very slowly and show up on the finish. They are fine and bring power. Refreshing structure. Only the finish is slightly restrained, but given the substance here, it’s simply a matter of time. A very fine success for Pagodes.