Château Cos d’Estournel Magnum 2018

Château Cos d'Estournel stands on Cos hill in Saint-Estèphe, on the left bank of the Médoc, the estate whose oriental styled cellars Louis Gaspard d'Estournel built after buying the whole hill in 1811. The blend draws on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Saint-Estèphe's deep gravel ridges over clay drain freely yet hold reserves of water, ripening Cabernet Sauvignon fully while the cooler clay base lends the appellation its firm backbone and dark fruit. The Gironde estuary moderates temperature and lengthens the season, favouring slow, even ripening. Ageing runs 18 months in 225 litre French oak, where measured oxygen exchange knits the tannins and adds cedar, cocoa and spice. The 2018 shows a deep ruby colour and a nose of ripe black fruit, blackberry and plum, framed by cocoa, tobacco and clove. The palate is full and structured, the tannins dense but fine grained, the finish long and savoury. Served from magnum, it gains a slower, steadier evolution. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant one to two hours ahead. It calls for roast beef, lamb and game.