(98-100 points) (Saint-Estèphe; 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot; a final yield of 29 hl/ha; pH 3.68; IPT 81; 13.6% ABV; tasted at the property with Dominique Arangoits and members of the Reybier family). Ethereal in its purity and very beautiful. Cos is a little intimate, drawing you in with that dark graphite, a hint of cedar, a little pencil-shaving, copious dark berry fruits and a little cherry; but there's also, crucially, that heathy, wild herb and – here – floral note, the signature of this northern Médoc appellation. I find this incredibly pure texturally, cool at the core and spherical in form, with great density and a sensation of viscosity that is rare in the vintage. I'm almost in tears. This has that slightly sombre, haunting elegance that I think we will associate with the greatest wines of this vintage over the years to come. Incense and myrrh replace the sweet spices of old. Energetic and dynamic in its freshness. Beautiful. Sublime. 98-100

(96-100 points) Intense and fruity wine, deep and dark with peppery fruits and Asian spices. This is a very crispy and pleasant wine, with a strong and powerful structure and a massive tannic though well integrated backbone. It would need considerable cellar time , 7-9 years before being approachable. It is a very successful wine both for the chateau and for the vintage.

Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Delicate notes of licorice, black cherries, cassis, fine nougat, delicate herbal spice, some precious wood. Complex, taut, tightly woven, ripe, firm tannins, mineral, long-lasting, dark berry finish, great length, black cherries, mineral-salty aftertaste, sure maturity potential.

(98-99 points) A density to this, yet it remains balanced and complex, with well-integrated tannins and a juicy finish. It seems to be a wine with lots of fruit, but then it diffuses and shows open-grained, velvety tannins. Intense yet subtle blackberries, lead pencil and hazelnuts. Some flint. Persistent and reserved at the end. Great potential. A blend of 60% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot and 1% petit verdot.

(97-99 points) Cassis, currants, smoky tobacco, chocolate, and graphite all define the 2025 Château Cos D'Estournel, a powerful, ripe, concentrated beauty based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot that's still resting in 50% new barrels. On the palate, it's full-bodied, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, integrated oak, and a great finish. It stays lively, balanced, and remarkably fresh despite its weight and richness, and I'd happily put this up with the crème de la crème of the vintage.

(96-99 points) The 2025 Cos d'Estournel is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Grand, dramatic and sweeping, with notable textural intensity, the 2025 hits all the right notes. Even in the very early going, the 2025 is magical. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, tobacco, lavender and mocha build effortlessly in the glass. More than anything else, I am blown away by the wine's magnificent balance. A masterpiece. - Antonio Galloni

(97-99 points) The nose of the 2025 grand vin is dense, compact and full of charm, with dried black plum and blackberry, scented with black rose, dark chocolate and lavender. The palate serves up violet- and lavender-infused fruits, wrapped up in ribbons of chocolate, slate, coffee bean and savoury black olive, which all work together in the finish, the wine combining the dark and savoury, sinewy fruit with a fine and powdery grain of tannins and the vivacious vigour of the vintage. There is a little heady oak too, but this will be absorbed given time. This is absolutely delicious, with the concentration of the vintage and terroir working with the fresh structure. It has such great length too. A super Cos d’Estournel, the blend is 39% Merlot, 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot, and it takes about half of the crop. The yield was 29 hl/ha. The property is still in organic conversion, a process commenced in 2021 but not completed as they acquired more conventionally managed parcels along the way. The harvest ran from September 3rd, the earliest start on this vineyard by four days, until the 19th. The alcohol is 13.61% on analysis.

Vivid pink colour in the glass. Plush, plump and chewy yet serious in a tight, cool blue fruit and graphite way. Lots of gravelly minerality keeps this quite focused and straight but with lovely fine layers of flavour and fruitiness. Classic in the sense of lower alcohol but still with ripe tannins – a nice combination. Still shy I’d say for Cos, definitely not the showy more exuberant style you can find. Refined but well built and definitely not overripe. Dominique Arangoits, technical director of Cos d'Estournel said 2025 was a: ‘Very interesting vintage, the dry situation arrived early so the vines adapted better. Easter brought three days of rain with 115mm on 20 April which proved vital, followed by helpful rain at the end of August. We started harvest on 3 September – our earliest ever. Nice quality of tannins and colour – we have the benefits of a hot season but with cool nights too, low alcohol and nice quantity of fresh fruit. It’s a mix of styles – ripeness and precocity of 2022 and freshness of 2016. Maybe a bit like 2020.’ 3.68pH. 65% grand vin production.

(96-98 points) The 2025 Cos d'Estournel appears to be one of the finest wines this property has produced in the last decade. Unwinding in the glass with a deep bouquet of dark berry fruit mingled with violets, pencil shavings, burning embers and anise, it's full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a broad attack, layered mid-palate and beautifully fresh, concentrated flavors. All of this terroir's inherent power is present, contained within very classical proportions at 13.3% alcohol. The 2025 is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot.

(96-98 points) Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Cos d'Estournel needs a fair bit of shaking and swirling to unlock fragrant scents of peonies, tree moss, and fertile loam, opening to a core of crushed blackcurrants and black raspberries, plus a touch of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate has fantastic energy with vivacious black fruit flavors and a lively line, framed by firm, grainy tannins, finishing long and minerally.

Incense and sandalwood aromatics, combines the density and concentration of a hot vintage with the freshness and balanced alcohols of a cooler vintage, meaning both weight and lightness of touch (this is something you will hear a lot with the 2025 vintage but rarely find in reality). A real breadth and wide spectrum of possibilities are contained here, a little austere right now but these dark berry fruits and firm tannins are waiting to bloom with ageing. 3.68pH. 50% new oak. Harvest was September 3, earliest since the Reybier era (they began September 7 on 2022, and also in 1989) through to September 19. Last year in organic conversion.