2021 Chateau Cos Labory 5eme Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe

The 2021 Cos Labory is a wild, eccentric wine. Dark red/purplish fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and incense lend quite a bit of nuance. There's good depth and plenty of character, but also some slightly rough contours that could use a bit of polishing up. The aromatics in particular feel a bit disassociated. Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022

A strong effort, the 2021 Cos Labory offers up aromas of rich berries, cherries and licorice mingled with sweet soil tones and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, its round and seamless, with unusual depth of fruit for the vintage, concluding with an expansive finish.

The 2021 Cos Labory has a light, perfumed bouquet of cedar-infused black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. A bit light on the finish, but it retains balance. Old-school claret, really – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Deep crimson. Nose is both fresh and ripe. Not the most opulent wine; it finishes a little dry. Really quite drying in fact. There’s no shortage of ripe fruit here and the minerality of St-Estèphe imposes itself. Another wine that does not taste as though it came from an unripe vintage but you need to love St-Estèphe to love this wine. The finish is distinctly inky and hard work.
Drink 2028 – 2042
Jancisrobinson.com, May 2022

60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. Mid crimson. Fragrant with leafy dark fruit. Pretty leafy on the palate, just ripe but rather dry even though the tannins are finely textured. A bit austere, even for St-Estèphe. (JH)