2018 La Couspaude
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind. Rich and round. Sinewy and fresh but a tad weak. And dry on the end. Rather 20th-century and old-fashioned. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2018 La Couspaude has a simple nose of raspberry, dark cherry and boysenberry fruit, becoming quite floral in style but missing real delineation. The heady palate is sweet and candied on the entry, quite extracted in style, with a finish driven by wood tannins instead of fruit.
Another rich, powerful Saint-Emilion, the 2018 Château La Couspaude sports a dense purple/plum color as well as a rocking nose of black cherries, wild herbs, iron, tapenade, and spicy oak. Rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has an expansive mouthfeel, terrific mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It needs 2-4 years of bottle age to shed some oak, but this is a beautiful, layered, hedonistic 2018 with loads to love.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Couspaude is a touch closed to begin, offering glimpses at stewed plums, fruitcake and mulberries at the core, with underlying cedar, charcuterie and woodsmoke scents. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a refreshing line and faintly chewy tannins with just enough black fruit and a savory finish.