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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.8 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 17 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 5/21/2024 & rated 91 points: Second of six from an OWC bought at retail recently. From Coravin. Pretty much back on form after the first one from this half case, which was lightly corked. This bottle was unbalanced and closed on day one, as expected, but on day three, it was doing very well, showing plums, elderberry, cassis, and a little cinnamon as well as the start of some undergrowth on the nose. It had a very cohesive and even palate. Uncorked and then vacuumed on day three, the nose was best on day four, but the palate was in decline. Score is for day three. A winner at $30 US per bottle. 13.5% ABV (very good/***/16/91) (24 views) | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 5/14/2024 flawed bottle: First of six from an OWC purchased at retail. Corked. (24 views) | | | Tasted by Poussin on 5/9/2024 & rated 91 points: Personally, I think the consensus rates this a touch too low. Lots of correct Medoc character, with graphite/pencil shavings and a tiny bit of funk/barnyard. The palate has a lovely seam of acidity and plenty of dark fruit…this is not an austere wine! That said, the tannins are still rather foresquare. I think it could handle another few years in the cellar. Canny buy by Qatar Airways at a time when all the airlines seem to be downgrading their wine offerings. 91-92 (241 views) | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 4/30/2024 & rated 92 points: From a single bottle purchased at retail. This was thin and unbalanced from a Coravin pour on day one but was open for business from Coravin on day two. (Was it me or the wine? Not sure.)
On day two, this showed very good concentration and balance and a bright beam of acidity and lots of slightly rustic but not unripe tannins that provided an old-school framework for the rich cloak of cassis, black cherry, red fruits, and leather that made up the nose and palate. There was just a touch of undergrowth starting to show.
If people are trying to drink this from PnP, I can see why they give it so little love. If I had scored this on day one, I would have given it an 83/100 at best, but today is a completely different story.
This is a solid wine—a bit of a rustic, old-school Saint-Estephe bruiser—but very solid. At the full retail price of $36 US this is a good buy, but at the sale price of $30, it’s a little gem. If you know of an age-worthy, classed Saint-Estephe with almost nine years under the cork that can be had for the same price as Potensac, please let me know. I’ve bought a half case. 13.5% ABV (very good/***/16/92) (245 views) | | | Tasted by Mads Eriksen on 3/23/2024 & rated 93 points: meget flot og fint moden til at drikke. (311 views) | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 10/2/2023 & rated 92 points: From a bottle purchased recently at retail because I was interested in trying this seldom seen, much unloved fifth growth. I was ultimately very favorably impressed, but it took three days to get there.
On PnP, it showed an open nose of red fruits with the same on the palate, but it seemed thin and disjointed. I didn’t even have one glass before I packed it away under vacuum in the fridge.
On day three, it was a totally different wine, showing full, pure red fruits (red currant and raspberries), roses, and a touch of cinnamon, along with excellent cohesiveness and balance and ripe, dusty tannins. At the $33 US/bottle case price, this is a good value. 13.5% ABV (very good; distinctive/***/16.5/92) (724 views) | | | Tasted by NMIZ on 2/19/2022 & rated 88 points: Dark purple. Powerful. Too tannic. Still too young. Pencil lead. Red cherries. Tobacco. Medium body. Long finish. (1571 views) | | | Tasted by wineappreciation on 5/23/2021 & rated 90 points: Blackberry, leather, vanilla, cumin; smooth, fairly rich, fruits fairly accessible and tannins not overwhelming; medium length; a little one-dimensional but pleasing to drink (1749 views) | | | Tasted by bestdamncab on 5/7/2019 & rated 91 points: Wine Warehouse Spring Tasting, nose of baked black cherry fruit, and cigar box, same on the palate, medium body, lovely fruit, rich fruit, very earthy tasting today, soft tannins on the mid palate, and a medium finish, (2717 views) | | | Tasted by rossi.wine on 6/16/2018 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit, spices, tobacco, smoke, herbs on the nose. Powerful, grippy tannins on the palate, good concentration of fruit, lots of structure, fresh and bright. Good length. Positively rustic. 90-91+ (3169 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 5/21/2018 & rated 87 points: Light in color, medium-bodied, with soft, mineral driven red fruits and leafy qualities. You can already drink this now, just give it an hour in the decanter. (3787 views) | | | Tasted by Weinmeister on 3/19/2018 & rated 90 points: 90,5 (90) Potential (2265 views) | | | Tasted by FransS on 2/6/2018 & rated 88 points: UGC Tasting Amsterdam 2/5/2018: Nicely starting, but only a modest advance in the midtaste, ending with some severe tannins. (1983 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 2/5/2018 & rated 89 points: UGCB 2015 tasting (Amsterdam): The bouquet is a bit locked, but there are dark berries. On the palate dark berries, some green bell pepper impressions, pleasant oak, good acidity and sticky tannin. Not a wine of great luxury or finesse, but certainly a very ok wine. 88 - 89 for today (2083 views) | | | Tasted by kmacSF on 1/25/2018 & rated 86 points: Blueberry and paprika. Finish of tropical flowers. (943 views) | | | Tasted by PanosKakaviatos on 11/2/2017 & rated 91 points: Assessing Bordeaux 2015 from bottle, part I; 11/2/2017-11/3/2017 (Bordeaux): OK, dear reader, this series of five wines from Saint Estephe surprised not just me but also two experienced Bordeaux tasters: Jane Anson and Yohan Castaing, whose blog Anthocyanes excellent. Anyway, all five were excellent. Starting with Cos Labory and its seductive, tobacco nose. The palate although a bit rude on the attack, settles down to a medium to full-bodied claret, that holds its own. Certainly more substantial than it was from barrel. (3695 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 4/19/2016 & rated 87 points: An earthy, medium-bodied wine with cassis, blackberries and a crisp, herbal, sweet and tart quality to the fruit. 86 - 88 Pts (2360 views) |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Finally: Bordeaux 2015 In Bottle (Jul 2019) (7/1/2019)
(Cos-labory Cos-labory Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/24/2019)
(Ch Cos Labory St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, May 2018 (5/1/2018)
(Château Cos Labory St Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2015 Bordeaux: Every Bottle Tells a Story... (Feb 2018) (2/18/2018)
(Cos Labory Cos Labory Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (2/1/2018)
(Château Cos Labory St.-Estèphe, Red, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Let the Good Times Roll: 2015 Bordeaux from Bottle (11/30/2017)
(Chateau Cos Labory) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Medoc 2015 in bottle (11/2/2017)
(Château Cos Labory, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/17/2017)
(Ch Cos Labory St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (4/29/2016)
(Château Cos Labory St.-Estèphe, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/2/2016)
(Ch Cos Labory St-Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Bordeaux’s Radiant 2015s (Apr 2016) (4/1/2016)
(Cos Labory Cos Labory) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2016 (4/1/2016)
(Château Cos Labory St Estèphe Red) Subscribe to see review text. | Decanter
(Château Cos Labory, St-Estèphe, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and JamesSuckling.com and JebDunnuck.com and Decanter. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Cos Labory Producer website – Read more about Chateau Cos Labory
Wikipedia entry
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Estèphe Read more about St. Estephe and its wines Whereas the first activity recorded in Saint-Estèphe goes back as far as the Middle Bronze Age, the first vines date from the Roman Occupation. But it was the Bordeaux merchants who by aging and selling Saint-Estèphe wines themselves were largely responsible for this appellation's fame. And in the nineteenth century, noted for its prosperity, the great estates of today were created. The movement continues today with the merging of small estates.
A land of great wines, Saint-Estèphe is situated almost in the centre of the Médoc, close to the Gironde Estuary. The appellation is equidistant from Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave.
The beds of soil are characterized by their remarkable diversity, the result of their undulating relief and excellent drainage. Quartz and well-rounded pebbles mingled with light, sandy surface soil are found everywhere, giving the wines a distinctive finesse. And the subsoil is made up of the famous Saint-Estèphe limestone, which outcrops on the west of the commune.
Tasting
Thanks to ideal conditions of climate and geology, Saint-Estèphe wines are characterized by their sturdy qualities and robust constitution. Accordingly, they can be laid down for a very long time while yet preserving their youth and freshness. Distinguished by a subsoil which is more clayey than that in the other communal appellations which lie by the river, the wine here attains a distinctive individuality : a very rich tannic structure, a fine deep red colour and an exceptional backbone with aromas of great finesse.
Production conditions (Decree dated September 11, 1936):
In order to have the right to the Saint-Estèphe appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Saint-Estèphe, "excluding any parcels in that area which are situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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