2019 Château Cos d'Estournel

The former owner and namesake Louis Gaspard d'Estournel was known as the Maharaja of Saint-Estèphe. He decorated the castle in Indian style, gave great parties and lived beyond his means. In 1852 he was completely destitute and had to sell his domain. He died a year later. Cos d'Estournel is arguably the Chateau with the most new and advanced winemaking technology. From the picking to the maturing of the bottles, everything is carefully checked and carried out with the greatest care. For example, they have managed to create a vinification process in which the wine is transported without pumps. All actions are performed by gravity. In 1855 the Chateau obtained the 2nd Grand Cru Classé status

The harvest for the Grand Vin of CHÂTEAU COS D'ESTOURNEL ST.-ESTÈPHE 2019 started on September 23 and ended on October 7. The 2019 vintage is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot (without Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc this year), the yields of this wine in 2019 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and matured in 55% new oak. The Cos d'Estournel 2019 is a medium to deep garnet purple colored in the glass and rises from the glass with vibrant dark raspberries, chocolate cake, blackcurrant scents plus nuances of red roses, wild sage, dark chocolate and antlers/iron with a hint wood smoke. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut, muscular and skyscraper-built, with firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness supporting the concentrated flavors of black fruit, finishing with incredible length and depth. This wine is so beautiful and clearly captures the juxtaposition between the periods of dry heat and those hallelujah moments of refreshing rain - the hallmarks of this great vintage. Parker ends his review with: "...It's a vinous masterpiece in the making"