2022 Cos Labory

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.

The team under Dominique Arangoïts only conducted the bottling for the 2022 Cos Labory after its acquisition by Michel Reybier. There is a certain strictness on the nose, with touches of melted tar infusing the black fruit tones on the palate. This is a little introverted in style with a fluidity that I like. It's not overly complex, yet balanced with decent length. Fine.

Last full year under the brothers Bernard, Stéphane and Martial Audoy, owners since 1984. The new team under Cos d'Estournel would have overseen the final ageing of this wine, but it retains that old school, slightly austere tannic frame that is typical of Cos Labory. Plenty of grip and character, dark brambled fruits and crayon, smoked earth, raspberry leaf, rose bud. 50% new oak for ageing.