Shop Wine

wines

Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d’Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98+ RPQuite the bottle here! Spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as dried meat and plums with cedar and sandalwood. Full body. Deep and dense in the center palate and a long, long finish. Shows finesse and tightness. Very polished tannins. Long and ethereal. Try after 2023.James Suckling | 98 JSA bold, dramatic wine, the 2017 Cos d’Estournel is seriously impressive today. Time in barrel has done wonders for the 2017, a wine that has really gained depth in élevage. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice, smoke and incense infuse the 2017 with tons of character, with the 60% new oak very well judged. In 2017, Cos has a level of textural resonance that eludes many Saint-Estèphes. The blend is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGThis impressive wine is structured yet well balanced by an attractive fruitiness that parallels the tannins and the smokiness from wood aging. The density of the palate is countered by fresh acidity that shines through. Drink 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEBright and expressive, with an extroverted core of loganberry, plum and black cherry fruit racing to the fore, carried by a polished and sleek structure. Reveals a subtle mineral edge through the finish, with alluring black and red tea notes swirling around. The rare seductive St.-Estèphe. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2036. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe grand vin 2017 Chateau Cos D’Estournel checks in as 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in 60% new French oak. It’s a classic 2017 that shows the straight, very classic style of the vintage with its medium to full body, ripe, present tannins, and solid spine of acidity. Beautiful cassis, green tobacco, graphite, and cedar pencil notes all emerge from the glass, and as with the Pagodes, it’s still tight and reserved on the palate. Reminding me of the 1996 with its classic, balanced style, give bottles 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDHad a few issues with brett on the first bottle of this, but tasted again (twice for reassurance) and this has an unmistakably rich ripeness to it. Successful polishing and rounding out of the tannins that works to override the austerity of the vintage far better than many. Cassis and spiced damson character abounds, and it opens up in the glass slowly but determinedly. 60% new oak. Plenty of ageing capacity on display. Drinking Window 2025 - 2045.Decanter | 94 DEC

The deep, inky-colored 2017 Léoville Barton is a classic, powerhouse wine from this estate that’s going to need bottle age. Loads of black and blue fruits, violets, classy oak, and ample minerality all soar from the glass. It’s medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and backward on the palate. With fabulous purity and integrated acidity, forget bottles for 5-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades. The blend in 2017 is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, harvested from the 15th to the 29th of September, and aging in 60% new French oak.Jeb Dunnuck | 94-96 JDLéoville-Barton is one of the very few wines, from any appellation, that combines power and finesse with such grace in 2017. Rich, deep and wonderfully expressive, the 2017 has so much offer. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. Inky dark, fruit, game, spice, mint, licorice and lavender all build in a wine of regal elegance and head spinning beauty. For its combination of quality and price, Léoville-Barton remains one the most consumer-friendly wines of the Left Bank. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. The September rains were especially challenging for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As a result, Cabernet is pushed up in the blend, while there is no Franc at all.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGThis boldly tannic wine has a firm structure that gives it an excellent potential. That’s because the great blackberry fruits are just as important, offering a ripe, juicy character that is already succulent and delicious. Drink this wine from 2024.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE(Château Léoville Barton, St-Julien, Red) Great depth through the mid palate, and as with Poyferré there is both delicacy and finesse to the expression that suggests the style of the vintage emphasizes the classical side of St-Julien. As things open in the glass sweet black cherry with liquorice root and crushed earth comes through in the mid palate. This has poise, concentration and confidence, easily one of the best in the appellation.Decanter | 95 DECThe purity of cabernet sauvignon really comes through here with currants, blackberries and stones. Perfumed, too. Medium to full body. Very fine, polished tannins and a fresh, fruity finish. This shows a compact palate with a polished, creamy finish. Much higher percentage of cabernet than is usual. Drink after 2023.James Suckling | 95 JSDeep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Léoville Barton charges out of the gate with bold notions of baked plums, crème de cassis and blueberry preserves plus wafts of pencil shavings, fragrant earth and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves with compelling herbal sparks and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and lively.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPPacked with ripe, lively plum, blackberry and black currant fruit, backed by melted black licorice and bramble accents throughout, this retains a sense of polish despite the energetic fruit and structure. Ends with an encore of warm plum reduction. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2023 through 2037. 10,833 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS