2014 Chateau Cos d'Estournel St-Estephe Grand Cru Classe
Towering over Saint-Estephe, collectible in every vintage, Cos [pronounced KOSS] is THE prototypical super-second." This is a wine that will likely still be drinking well when your grandkids are in their 30s. Galloni calls this wine "rich, powerful and seductive, with notable unctuousness but a medium-bodied frame. Plum, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate and lavender notes flesh out in an effortless, sumptuous wine that will provide superb drinking for the next few decades." "
Situated between Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe, and separated from Château Lafite by the stream known as La Jalle du Breuil (The Breuil Brook), the hill of Cos rises dominates the Gironde from the height of almost 65 feet. Certainly impressive to lay eyes on, and it's exactly what sets the wine apart as well - both in the bottle and on the label. In the old Gascon language, the word "Cos" means "The Hill of Pebbles." And as a matter of fact, the hill of Cos, which is situated on the banks of the Gironde, is an impressive accumulation of Quaternary gravel wrested from the distant mountains of the Massif Central and the Pyrenees and laid on Saint-Estèphe's limestone bed when the primeval river receded. These well-draining slopes formed by erosion have deep layers of gravel - making it not only a geological curiosity, but one of the most precious terroir in the world. Vines can root deeply into these arid soils looking for moisture. As a result the vines work hard and end up producing an intensely flavored and one-of-a-kind wine.
James Suckling
If you want to know what St.-Estèphe smells like, this is it. Aromas of spices, black truffles, forest floor, dried strawberries and tar. It’s full-bodied yet pinpointed on the palate with fabulous density and richness. It’s opulent but in a reserved and checked way. This needs at least five or six years to come around, but it’s already fantastic. What harmony and structure. Try in 2022 if you can keep your hands off it!
Wine Enthusiast
This is an immensely dense wine that is going to be a classic. The dark tannins are still lined with wood aging but that will go because the fruit underneath is also just as dense and intense. Blackberry, black plum and damson plum give power and sweetness. This is a great wine with huge potential. Drink from 2028. Cellar Selection
Jeb Dunnuck
The grand vin 2014 Cos D’Estournel is gorgeous, and I think a step up over the 2015. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, this deep, inky-colored 2014 boasts a gorgeous perfume of ripe currants and cassis fruits, loads of chocolaty oak, cedar and scorched earth, full-bodied richness, and building, firm, yet ripe tannin. It’s certainly one of the gems in the vintage, as well as one of the more structured, opulent and age-worthy. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following two to three decades.