Professional Ratings
- 96 points – Decanter
- 96 points – Wine Enthusiast
- 95 points – James Suckling
- 94 points – Jeb Dunnuck
- 93 points – Wine Advocate
- 93 points – Vinous
- 93 points – Wine Spectator
Tasting Notes
A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2021 offers aromas of violets, lavender, cassis, graphite, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, and dark berries. The palate is elegant and refined, featuring red and black currant fruit, chalky minerality, polished tannins, and exceptional freshness. Despite the cooler vintage, it shows remarkable concentration, balance, and precision.
Overall Review
The 2021 Cos d'Estournel is widely regarded as one of the standout wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. More restrained and classical than recent powerhouse vintages, it emphasizes finesse, terroir expression, and longevity. Critics praised its purity, structure, and seamless integration, comparing its elegance to some of the estate's finest traditional releases.
Drinking Window: 2027–2048+
James Suckling 95 Points
Floral aromas with violets, lavender and currants. Lead pencil, too. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins that caress and please. Elegant and sophisticated. Linear line of tannins running through this. Needs two or three years to soften. Hold for now.
Wine Enthusiast 96 Points
Dense and seriously structured, this wine with its polished leather and cedar aromas is concentrated in tannins. The wine's structure dominates, partnering acidity and ripe texture. Drink from 2028.
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider 96 Points
Earthy, spicy, black raspberries, blackberries, flowers, and black currants create the nose and the core of its medium/full-bodied palate. Soft, silky, fresh and polished, there is a nice sweetness and refined edge to the fruit on the palate, finishing with layers of vibrant, peppery, tea-stained, black currants with a gentle hint of herbs on the backend. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc,13% alcohol, pH of 3.7. The yields were 35 hectoliters per hectare. The harvest took place September 23 to October 7. The Grand Vin was produced from 50% of the harvest. The wine is going to approachable early in its life. Drink from 2025-2055. 95-97
