Cos d'Estournel Saint Estèphe 2018 6L

100 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Dark ruby, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. An immensely multifaceted and seductive bouquet with notes of cassis and fresh fig, but also red berries, exotic spices and noble wood. Full-bodied, complex, pronounced fruit, dark cherry, perfect tannins, round and ripe, dark berries and fine nougat and mineral, red cherry on the finish. Great ageing potential and will keep for decades. (2020-2060). (2/14/21)"

98+ points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 50% new oak barriques. The alcohol weighs in at just over 14.5%. Sporting a deep purple-black color, it needs a lot of swirling to begin to unlock a powerful nose of crème de cassis, stewed plums, wild blueberries and chocolate-covered cherries, followed by nuances of Sichuan pepper, star anise, tree and clove oil, plus a waft of charcoal. The full-bodied palate is densely packed with taut, muscular black fruits and earthy layers, framed by super firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and wonderfully earthy. A very impressive behemoth, this is going to need a good seven to 10 years to truly show its stuff and should drink for a good 40 years and beyond. Drink: 2028-2068. (Mar 2021)"

98+ points Jeb Dunnuck: "An incredible wine from this estate that's as good as anything in the vintage, the 2018 Château Cos D'Estournel checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot that was brought up in 50% new French oak. While some 2018s are going to offer pleasure right out of the gate, this isn't one of them, but rather it's a backward, tannic powerhouse of a wine that has flawless balance as well as a level of purity that's off the charts. Thrilling crème de cassis fruit, notes of lead pencil, damp earth, cedarwood, violets, and acacia flowers, full-bodied richness, masses of ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish all make for a legendary Saint-Estèphe that will need a good decade of bottle age yet evolve for 50 years or more. If you are tempted to try a bottle in its youth, it needs lots of air. Drink: 2031-2081. (3/11/21)"

98 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2018 Cos d'Estournel is a racy, powerful Saint-Estèphe that is going to need quite a bit of time to find its center. Today, it is tightly wound, but all the energy is there. Lush and extravagantly ripe, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and plenty of energy to back it all up. Here, too, I found the wine a bit more expressive and giving en primeur. Drink: 2028-2058. (Mar 2021)"

98 points James Suckling: "The richness and beauty of this wine is impressive with blackcurrant, cherry, berry and fresh cloves. The fruit is so pure here. Full-bodied with tannins that are so integrated and refined that you don’t feel them, yet they are there! Very creamy and layered with great length and beauty. It turns to tar and licorice at the finish. Tight now, but the texture is special. Try after 2027. (1/15/21)"

97 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "A little closed on the nose, and also on the attack. There is a wall of tannin here but backed up by voluptuously ripe fruits that major on damson and fig, overlaid with cinnamon and saffron spices. Lilting acidity through the finish keeps a sense of momentum. This is powerful with ambition, and it carries it off perfectly. 65% of production went into the grand vin. 1% Petit Verdot makes up the blend, and the wine was aged in 50% new oak (a little lower than the usual 60%). Drinking Window: 2028-2045. (Nov 2020)"

97 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "The blend here is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, at 74%. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the élevage here is that Dominique Arangoïts and his team have reined in the use of new oak in recent years, so this was aged in just 50% new barrels, with 50% older barrels, “to preserve the fruit” says Dominique. This cuvée took 55% of the crop, a lower figure than mentioned at the primeurs. A wine saturated with pigment, the aromatic profile here is rich in mineral character, all wound around a core of spiced damson and dried blackcurrant fruits. There is intensity suggested here, but the palate offers up sinew and poise in its place. There is a grip of tannins here, but it is focused, silky and finessed, lending the midpalate a renewed sense of elegance that perhaps harks back more to the vintages of the 1990s than it does the 2000s (or ‘the noughties’, if that’s your preferred term). Top work here from Dominique. And boy, does it have length. The alcohol here nudges 14.6%, by the way, the lowest among the ‘big three’. (Feb 2021)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "This is a bird of a different feather, with a ripe, sleek, and very polished feel as creamed loganberry, plum and boysenberry flavors spill forth, flanked for support by singed alder and incense notes, while black tea and savory threads curl around the finish. Long, showy and lovely. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2038. (3/31/21)"

96 points/'CellarSelection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$229 list] Rich and dense, this wine is happily poised between ripe fruits and a deceptively powerful structure. Smoky flavors from wood aging combine with solid black fruits that strain but never overstep an impressive balance. This wine will age, promising much for the future. Drink from 2026. Alcohol 14.5%. (May 2021)"