The finesse is pretty phenomenal here, with such complexity of fruit and vivid, bright flowers. Lavender and rose. Seductive. Ever-so long and precise. Lead pencil and graphite. Reminiscent of old, great Cos, such as 1955 or 1982, but with so much more form and modernity. A renaissance of Cos. 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 1% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot.

Chocolate, mint, licorice, smoke, tobacco, black and blue blue fruits with hints of Asian spices shows in the aromatic profile with only a few swirls. But, as is often the case, with Cos, it is the palate that offers thrills with its creamy, plush, opulent textures. The fruits are lively, spicy and fresh, leaving you with layers of opulent, black, red and blue fruits with a spicy edge that lingers and expands long after the wine has left has the glass. The wine was made from blending 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. The wine is going to be approachable early in its life, yet it has the ability to age for decades. Drink from 2030-2060.

The 2023 Cos d'Estournel is just as compelling as it was en primeur. I especially admire how it balances textural richness and vibrancy. Crushed flowers, mint, spice, rose petal, mocha, lavender and new leather caress the palate. The balance here is just mind-blowing. Technical Director Dominique Arangoïts made all the right calls, that much is obvious. There is a tendency to describe this 2023 as "classic," admittedly a word that can mean so many things. The 2023 Cos d'Estournel certainly fits the bill in my book.

A brilliant white from this team, the 2023 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc is based on 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon and reveals a touch more inward, mineral-laced character than the Pagodes Blanc. Ripe citrus, orange pith, white flowers, and a liqueur of rocks-like minerality all define the aromatics, and it's medium-bodied, fresh, focused, and vibrant on the palate, with bright, juicy acidity, remarkable purity, and a great finish. It's another sensational white from this estate that will keep for a solid two decades. Drink 2026-2045.

Step into Cos d'Estournel, with its richness, depths and layers of cocoa bean, liquorice, espresso, chocolate, exceptional chewiness on the tannins, making things fairly serious at this early stage, with a promise of slow-revealed pleasure over the decades ahead. First time doing green harvest in the vineyards since 2008, causing some worries over the late heat waves on already ripening grapes, but they have retained balanced alchols here, and there is plenty of juice to lift things up on the finish. Harvest September 12 to 29 (last year finished September 22). 50% new oak for ageing, 53% 1st wine. In organic conversion (that began in 2021, but have had to extend after addition of a few more plots to the vineyard).

Some herbal touches on the nose with dark chocolate, a little exotic with quite dark ripe blackcurrants. Expressive and alive in the glass, weighty and smooth, a great texture and structure to this, more fleshy and ripe than I was expecting with a mineral undercurrent. Lots going on here, less showy as the fruit subsides and leaves some grippy, powdery tannins that linger. Still serious and needs time to come together, a little quiet and intense on the finish. Not so much overt acidity, more power and structure at this point. First time green harvesting since 2008. 12% press wine, less than in 2022. Shorter maceration in 2023, 23 days compared to 28-30 at cooler temperatures. Ageing 50% new oak. In organic conversion. 53% grand vin, 47% second wine. 1% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

A contemporary classic in the making, the 2023 Cos d'Estournel has turned out beautifully, reflecting a lighter touch with extraction that has delivered more sensuality and harmony without the loss of any of the estate's signature power and authority. Wafting from the glass with deep aromas of cassis, wild berries, orange zest and exotic spices, framed by well-integrated new wood, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, beautifully suave tannins and a cool, seamless profile. It's a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that attained 12.9% alcohol and is being matured in 50% new oak.

The 2023 Cos d'Estournel picked from September 12 to 29 and matured in 50% new oak blossoms in the glass. The aromatics deliver nearly immediate gratification: black cherries wild strawberries crushed violet petals and vanilla pod. It’s all quite sumptuous but very well focused. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled slightly powdery tannins. It’s beautifully balanced with a very pure and seductive finish. This is a notably composed and assured Cos d'Estournel almost a lesson in how less can be more. It’s only a couple of steps behind the previous vintage.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 53% of the production. Cask sample. Deep purple-black hue. Aromatic and exotic with spice and chocolate notes. Smooth attack then long and persistent. Plenty of freshness. Structured but slightly dry and chewy on the finish at the moment. Clear ageing potential. (JL)