(a blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot, cabernet franc 2% and 1% petit verdot; 3.51 pH; IPT 91; alcohol 14.5% alcohol; a 55% selection for the grand vin Saturated bright ruby. Captivating, intense aromas of dark berries, red cherry, mint and tobacco. Dense, sweet and fruity in the mouth if still a bit youthfully tight, with great purity to the flavors of red and dark berries, exotic herbs and licorice. Finishes smooth and extremely long, with wonderfully silky tannins. This very big wine will need plenty of time, but I have no doubt this will be remembered as a great Cos. Jean-Guillaume Prats pointed out that though the analytical numbers (IPT, alcohol, acidity) are very similar to those of the '09 Cos, the two wines could not be more different. When it comes to wine, he emphasized, the numbers do not tell the whole story. I should point out that the 2010 Cos contains only 19% merlot, down from the 33% of 2009—and merlot that had overripened at that.

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78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. 55% of total production. A real tonic. Very, very deep blackish crimson. Real energy and vitality and racy stuff. Pure, refined perfect Cabernet – pretty rich and alcoholic underneath but much, much drier and more appetising than either the 2009 - or the average Napa Cabernet, for example. Minerals and fruit in a lovely tincture. Such great texture and nobility. Racy thoroughbred Great balance and potential. Purity and energy - but you’ll need to wait so long for it! Tasted 17 Feb: Finished blend. Very dark indeed. Glossy blackish purple. Very intense, with some freshness. Still extremely young but with almost brutal mulberry(fruit and massive tannins but no suggestion of overripeness. Very ambitious. (Score 17.5+  20-40)

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The 2010 is a more structured, restrained, less flamboyant version of the 2009. A final blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that hit 14.5% natural alcohol, this wine (which represents only 55% of the estate's production) is full-bodied, classic and built along the lines of the 2000 (although that wine was made before Reybier acquired the estate and upgraded quality significantly). This wine exhibits beautifully pure notes of creme de cassis, blueberry liqueur, pen ink, graphite and hints of toast and vanillin. The wine is full and rich, and although aged in 80% new oak, the wood is a subtle background component. This beauty will take longer to round into shape than the dramatic and compelling 2009. Forget it for 5-8 years, and drink it over the following three-plus decades.

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