The first vintage made at the new winery, the 2008 Cos d’Estournel is drinking beautifully today, with terrific complexity as well as a silky, polished style on the palate. Made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc and revealing copious amounts of crème de cassis and black cherry fruit intermixed with notes of toasted bread, spice, and cedar, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a silky, sexy texture, and sweet tannin. Count me in as a fan. This beauty can be drunk today or cellared for another 15-20 years.

The medium to deep garnet colored 2008 Cos d'Estournel is blended of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Pow! The nose explodes with notes of baked cherries, preserved plums, fried herbs, beef drippings and warm cassis with wafts of wood smoke, salami and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied, the palate is elegant and earthy/savory in character, sporting beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

A very decadent wine on the nose with so much meat, spice and ripe fruit character. Sea shell as well. Full body, tight and structured with silky tannins and a lots of intense fruit. Vibrant wine. Better in 2020 but already fascinating to drink.

Very young, as you would expect, this is still a juvenile in terms of its development. Still, if you have a few hours of time to allow it some air, the nose will show vanilla, licorice, black and dark red fruits, smoke, cassis, and espresso. Full-bodied, concentrated and fresh, at least 8 more years of bottle age are warranted here.94 Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/search-wine-tasting-notes/?szSearch=2008%20Cos%20d%27Estournel

93+ Tasted ex-chateau and single blind in Southwold. This bottle of Cos d’Estournel 2008 is not as scintillating as the one tasted at the property, but it remains a great performer. Compared to its peers it is more forward on the nose: quite meaty and savoury, some expressive, slightly herbaceous Cabernet Franc here that I have not noticed previously. The palate is medium-bodied with good extraction: fleshy and supple in the mouth, a lot of creamy new oak and perhaps just lacking the mineralite on the finish that I discerned on other bottles. Very fine indeed although it will improve with bottle age.

This has a slight hint of the vintage's crisp, angular feel, but there are impressive layers of fruit here, with a bright mineral edge cutting through the damson plum and red currant notes. This has put on a little bit of weight in the bottle, too. Showing well.—Non-blind Cos-d'Estournel vertical (December 2015). Drink now through 2021. 20,000 cases made. –JM