2010 Cos d'Estournel
By Chateau Cos d'Estournel
2010 Cos d'Estournel from Château Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estèphe, Bordeaux
The prestigious 2010 vintage from Château Cos d'Estournel captivates the senses with an intensity matched only by its elegance. As one delves into a collection so ripe with triumphs, it becomes abundantly clear that this particular year yielded what is undeniably one of the stars of Saint-Estèphe. The decade-long fusion between grape and cask has brought us to a moment where patient investors can now truly reap the rewards.
An Exceptional Year of Harmony
There is no debating the exceptional balance of the 2010 vintage, which in the case of this wine from Château Cos d'Estournel, benefits from superbly favourable climatic conditions that blessed Bordeaux that year. The precision of the vineyard's location allows an artfully executed expression of grape—Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in concert—to shine, complete with nuances that are both boldly assertive and seductively smooth.
A Tasting Experience Shaped by Time
The tasting experience of the 2010 Cos d'Estournel bears witness to meticulous crafting. A decade in maturation has brought forth a regal poise; robust tannins have mellowed yet remain structurally astute, granting connoisseurs an opulent texture. The olfactory ballet presents a mesmerising blend of dark fruits, cigar box hues, and graphite minerality—a symphony indicative not only of Château Cos d'Estournel's intrinsic excellence but also embodying the distinct character bestowed by a climatically gifted season.
Well-informed wine investment circles continue to pay homage to such vintages which offer not just complexity for the palate but longevity for the portfolio. While acknowledging its appeal as a future classic, savvy investors recognise the immediate pleasure found within each glass of the 2010 Cos d'Estournel. Uniformly exceptional reviews underline its status as one of the most sought-after entries from Bordeaux in recent memory.
Cultivation Meets Cult Status
In conclusion, this vintage speaks directly to those poised to enrich their collection with wines reflecting both a superlative year and a vineyard's zenith in winemaking prowess. The 2010 Cos d'Estournel from Château Cos d'Estournel stands as a testament to Saint-Estèphe's potential fulfilled—an embodiment of the vintner's craft and nature's bounty intertwined to create an investment worthy of serious contemplation and unmitigated delight in its consumption.
Market price (GBP)
£2,000.00
12x75cl
Highest score
99
POP score
105.26
Scores and tasting notes
Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d'Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant. Give it another 4-5 years in bottle and this will be stunning!
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 5 March 2020
Following the exotic 2009, the 2010 is reflective of the vintage, the aromatics beautifully controlled and focused with notes of blackberry, briary, cedar and graphite. It is subtle, complex and cerebral: a bouquet you want to return to again and again. The palate is sensational. The tannins are fine and supple, the acidity pitch-perfect, the balance absolutely exquisite. There is real mineralite to this Saint Estephe, the finish exuding immense finesse and poise. What a marvellous Cos d'Estournel - a great testament to Jean-Guillaume Prats who has left for pastures new. Tasted November 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Mar 2013
Lifted nose of dried flowers, walnuts and dark fruits. Intense nose. A full-bodied wine, with powerful flavors of blackberries, coffee, dried herbs and spices. Super silky tannins and a long, long finish. Layered and flashy. Try in 2018.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, November 14th 2013
The 2010 is a more structured, restrained, less flamboyant version of the 2009. A final blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 14.5% natural alcohol, this wine (which represents only 55% of the estate's production) is full-bodied, classic and built along the lines of the 2000 (although that wine was made before Reybier acquired the estate and upgraded quality significantly). This wine exhibits beautifully pure notes of creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur, pen ink, graphite and hints of toast and vanillin. The wine is full and rich, and although aged in 80% new oak, the wood is a subtle background component. This beauty will take longer to round into shape than the dramatic and compelling 2009. Forget it for 5-8 years, and drink it over the following three-plus decades. These are two terrific wines from Cos d'Estournel. Proprietor Michel Reybier will have to continue his great success over the next decade without his top lieutenant, Jean-Guillaume Prats, who has taken another job, but the estate seems to be in superlative condition, and at the very top of its game.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #194 May 2011