Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2017 Cos Labory is pliant, open-knit and quite expressive. Spice, dried flowers, dried herbs, red cherry and tobacco are all finely-knit. A lovely wine, Clos Labory is just as delightful as it was en primeur. Readers can expect an attractive, mid-weight Saint-Estèphe built for near and medium-term drinking. The 2017 is nicely balanced and easy to like.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2017 Cos Labory is pliant, open-knit and quite expressive. Spice, dried flowers, dried herbs, red cherry and tobacco are all finely-knit. A lovely wine, Clos Labory is just as delightful as it was en primeur. Readers can expect an attractive, mid-weight Saint-Estèphe built for near and medium-term drinking. The 2017 is nicely balanced and easy to like.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

The 2018 Cos Labory is fabulous. An extra kick of richness from the warm year and a bit more Petit Verdot than usual result in a Cos Labory that is wonderfully savory, powerful and layered. Black cherry, plum, cloves, chocolate and dried herbs build as this potent, exotically ripe Saint-Estèphe opens in the glass. Today, the 2018 is dark, brooding and in need of cellaring. Cos Labory is a bit wild, but that just adds to its considerable allure.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (92)

The 2019 Cos Labory remains rather brawny, but it certainly has a ton of character. Black cherry, plum, gravel, licorice and scorched earth add to an impression of rusticity. Even so, there is plenty of depth and more than enough energy to support many years of fine drinking.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (91-93)

The 2020 Cos Labory is bright and exuberant in the glass. The purity of the flavors is striking. It will be interesting to see if the tannins settle down a bit. Today, they are pretty piercing in their intensity. Raspberry jam, game, iron, licorice, mint and sweet pipe tobacco lend energy and vibrancy throughout. Cos Labory is a touch austere, and yet it has plenty to offer.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (91-93)

The 2020 Cos Labory is bright and exuberant in the glass. The purity of the flavors is striking. It will be interesting to see if the tannins settle down a bit. Today, they are pretty piercing in their intensity. Raspberry jam, game, iron, licorice, mint and sweet pipe tobacco lend energy and vibrancy throughout. Cos Labory is a touch austere, and yet it has plenty to offer.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (91-93)

The 2020 Cos Labory is bright and exuberant in the glass. The purity of the flavors is striking. It will be interesting to see if the tannins settle down a bit. Today, they are pretty piercing in their intensity. Raspberry jam, game, iron, licorice, mint and sweet pipe tobacco lend energy and vibrancy throughout. Cos Labory is a touch austere, and yet it has plenty to offer.

Jancis Robinson (16+)

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.

Jancis Robinson (16+)

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.

Jancis Robinson (16+)

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.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

The 2022 Château Cos Labory comes from the team at Cos D'Estournel and is based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc raised in 50% new French oak. This saturated purple-hued beauty boasts a great nose of smoky red and black fruits interwoven with notes of graphite, tobacco, and crushed stone. It's a rich, full-bodied, concentrated 2022 with sweet tannins and no hard edges. It already offers pleasure, yet I wouldn’t be surprised to see this still going strong at age 30.

Jeb Dunnuck (94)

The 2022 Château Cos Labory comes from the team at Cos D'Estournel and is based on 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc raised in 50% new French oak. This saturated purple-hued beauty boasts a great nose of smoky red and black fruits interwoven with notes of graphite, tobacco, and crushed stone. It's a rich, full-bodied, concentrated 2022 with sweet tannins and no hard edges. It already offers pleasure, yet I wouldn’t be surprised to see this still going strong at age 30.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2019 Côte de Baleau takes quite a few minutes to settle in the glass. It has a very concentrated bouquet of black cherries, mulberry, touches of licorice and hints of graphite. The medium-bodied palate offers sappy black fruit and fine definition. Very focused, with a sensual and substantial finish. Superb.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2019 Côte de Baleau takes quite a few minutes to settle in the glass. It has a very concentrated bouquet of black cherries, mulberry, touches of licorice and hints of graphite. The medium-bodied palate offers sappy black fruit and fine definition. Very focused, with a sensual and substantial finish. Superb.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2019 Côte de Baleau takes quite a few minutes to settle in the glass. It has a very concentrated bouquet of black cherries, mulberry, touches of licorice and hints of graphite. The medium-bodied palate offers sappy black fruit and fine definition. Very focused, with a sensual and substantial finish. Superb.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2019 Côte de Baleau takes quite a few minutes to settle in the glass. It has a very concentrated bouquet of black cherries, mulberry, touches of licorice and hints of graphite. The medium-bodied palate offers sappy black fruit and fine definition. Very focused, with a sensual and substantial finish. Superb.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2020 Côte de Baleau has a lovely lilting bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, forest floor and hints of graphite. The oak is very well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine tannins. It is nicely proportioned with a sophisticated off-dry finish. What a superb Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2020 Côte de Baleau has a lovely lilting bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, forest floor and hints of graphite. The oak is very well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine tannins. It is nicely proportioned with a sophisticated off-dry finish. What a superb Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Vinous - Neal Martin (93)

The 2020 Côte de Baleau has a lovely lilting bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, forest floor and hints of graphite. The oak is very well integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit and fine tannins. It is nicely proportioned with a sophisticated off-dry finish. What a superb Saint-Émilion. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Jeb Dunnuck (93)

Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2021 Château Cote De Baleau reveals a dense ruby hue to go with beautiful aromatics of ripe black cherries, roasted herbs, leather, and smoked tobacco. It's a rich, medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, elegant Saint-Emilion with a supple, layered mouthfeel, ample tannins, and outstanding length. It's a gorgeous 2021 that readers will love. Drink bottles over the coming two decades.

Jeb Dunnuck (91)

As to the red 2019 Château Couhins, it offers lots of spicy red and black currant fruit as well as notes of leather, dried herbs, chocolate, and dried flowers. This rich, medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated Graves is going to benefit from just 2-4 years of bottle age and keep for 15-20 years in cold cellars.

Hailing from the prestige of Bordeaux's Graves region, Couhins 2020 is a magnificent testament to the winemaking prowess that continues to define France's coveted vineyards. Produced meticulously by the esteemed Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), it's a wine that demonstrates an exacting balance between innovation and tradition.

The Couhins 2020 embodies an alluring array of aromatic white peach, ripe pear, and subtly integrated oak, displaying a classic wine profile with a modern twist. The terroir's unique gravelly soils together with the exceptional 2020 vintage's notable climate conditions enticingly manifest in each bottle.

A marvellously textured palate embraces the harmonious melding of orchard fruits, vivacious acidity, and a whisper of mineral sensation. The Couhins 2020 continually leaves an indelible impression amongst seasoned oenophiles for its outstanding value and superb ageing potential, effortlessly rising as a remarkable expression of Bordeaux's beloved Pessac-Léognan appellation.