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Château Cos Labory

037

Address: 33180 St Estèphe

Telephone: +33 (0)5 56 59 30 22

E-mail: cos-labory@wanadoo.fr

Château Cos Labory languished for a number of years but today proprietor Bernard Audoy makes chewy, tannic St Estèphe in good years, though it can tend towards the lean and sinewy in less blessed vintages. Classified a fifth growth in 1855, the name is derived from the word ‘caux’ for stony hill, and the Labory family who owned the estate between 1820 and 1840. Second wine Le Charme de Cos Labory.

Vineyard/Terroir: 18 hectares on Guntzian gravel with a silt-limestone subsoil planted with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc.

Winemaking/Elévage: Traditional vinification with barrel ageing with up to 45% new oak.

Tasting notes:

  • 2015 Deep and dark; round and aromatic; mineral note; palate quite full and attractive plummy style; caressing and lifted; little extract on the finish; nice job; plenty of flesh here; spice and chew on the finish. [55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 13.25% alc]. Drink 2022-2030. Tasted UGCB at Lafon-Rochet 5/4/16. 88-90
  • 2014 Deep and saturated looking; purple at edge; tight; some black fruits; blackcurrants and some perfume lift on aeration; soft and easy on the palate; plenty of fruit; soft tannins and some cream. Attractive stuff. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Drink 2019-2028. Tasted UGC 2 April, 2015. 88-90
  • 2013 Deepish; some creamy lift, red fruits and toasty oak; chewy wood tannins dominate the palate; extracted feel. Tasted UGC 1/4/14 83-85. [later note] Deepish but translucent centre; oak rather dominates the aromatics; palate dominated by oak too and structure poking out; fruit feels delicate and masked by oak and overall sense of dryness. Disappointing showing to be honest. [68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot 12.5% alc, 50% new oak, harvest dates 7-17 October]. Tasted UGC 3/4/14. Drnk 2018-2023. 82-84
  • 2012 Mid depth; deep at centre; soft and easy aromatics; chewy fruit on the palate with some grippy qualities. Chewy finish. Sappy and grippy St Estèphe. Drink 2016-2025. 87 UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; quite enticing; ripe; plums, black cherry but ripe and layered; little oak on the palate; some tightness from the Cabernet Sauvignon; little extracted at the back but will settle nicely. Tasted UGC April 11, 2013. 87-89+ [Earlier note] Mid depth; looks lovely; quite lifted; some red fruits; ripe; oak on the palate [little dryness from the oak] firm and dense; tannin little more chewy. 50% Merlot, 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% new oak. 13.65% alc. Tasted UGC April 9, 2013. 86-88 Drink 2018-2025
  • 2011 Deep and saturated look; lots of raspberry jam notes, with attractive lift; initially plenty of fruit but more one dimensional than complex. Palate rather chewy, some spice, but this is a raw palate, less polished than some. Rustic . Tannin not fine. Dryness on the finish. Tasted UGC 3/4/13 and again 5/4/12 86-88 UGCB Primeurs Apr ‘12 Drink 2018-2025
  • 2010 Deep looking; red fruits; looser and more open; strawberry tones; lifted spicy plum notes; creamy palate with some texture; reasonable concentration and depth. Chewy finish. Has depth and length. Good effort from Cos Labory. Drink now-2028. 90 Tasted MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated; wet rocks, very big and tannic on the palate; chewy with lots of material. Should work out well. Tannic on the end. Pretty hefty alcohol at 14.2% Drink 2020-2030. 89+ Vinexpo June ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and dark, glossy; some lift; plums and spices and fruitcake notes; sweet oak too; depth and grip on the palate; structured wine with lots of extract. Chewy tannins. Lacks a bit of finesse but plenty of elements here. 88+ UGCB Nov ’12 [Earlier note] Deep and dark, glossy; some lift; plums and spices and fruitcake notes; sweet oak too; depth and grip on the palate; structured wine with lots of extract. Chewy tannins. Lacks a bit of finesse but plenty of elements here. 88+ UGCB Nov ’12 [earlier note] Deep dense colour; tighter more restrained layered nose; more focus than de Pez; palate full, concentrated quite dense; some hardness; but this looks pretty good. Quite chewy with density. Grip to. 88+/100 [35% Merlot, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, alc 14%, pH 3.54 IPT 78], Tasted 5th April 2011 UGC. [2nd tasting UGC] Deep and sat; some perfume; quite strong blackcurrants but dense and good; lots of density again on the palate, some freshness; tannin and oak tannin here too. Will this meld? Strong wine with a long chewy finish. Should come good 88/100 7th April 2011 UGC Drink 2018-2030
  • 2009 Deep and dark; resin, plums and earthy tones; full with a little lift; full palate with lots of plummy, spicy tones and chocolate notes; very open and attractive. Lots of fruit. A very good effort here from Cos Labory. Drink now-2030. 91+ MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier note] Deep; ripe and jammy lift to the nose; blackfruits and plums on the palate; chewy tannin on the finish. Drink now – 2025. 88+ Vinexpo June ’13 [Earlier note] Deep and dense; chewy black fruits on the nose; some jam; little more lifted; some leaf; cassis on the palate and strong Cabernet notes; less amazingly ripe than Lafon-Rochet and more traditionally styled; tannic and chewy. Very good effort though in a traditional tannic and chewy style. 91/100 [Earlier note] 2009 Dark black, purple; fresh nose; some raspberry and oak lift; little oak resin; good entry, ripe fruit; more chew here and sweetness; lacks complexity but big and ripe. 88-90/100 Tasted 30th March ’10 UGC Primeur tasting. Drink 2017-2030+
  • 2008 Goodish depth; quite fine nose, elegant, some development, little lift; blackcurrant and cassis on the palate; pretty firm and grippy. Bit hard on the finish. Has shown better. 86 MW Institute Nov ‘12 Drink now-2020
  • 2007 Some depth; red at edge; some oak resin and wet stone alongside leaf and tobacco notes; palate lacks depth and feels light, though not extracted at least and better now for some time to round out. 86/100 MW Institute Nov ’11 [Earlier note] 2007 Mid red; strawberry and roses on the nose; some spice; high toned palate; some fruit but feels a little angular and lacking flesh. May fill out. 82-84/100 UGC London tasting Oct ‘09 Drink now – 2017
  • 2006 Mid depth; quite earthy red; little dusty and chunky on the nose; straightforward; some oak resin; palate quite firm, little trace of oxidisation, feels a little tired. Palate quite firm with acid but lacks flair. 84/100 MW Institute Nov ‘10 Drink now – 2018
  • 2005 Mid depth; red; blackcurrants and earth; mid weight palate with reasonable density; some tannin at the end to shed. Good-ish effort 88+/100 April ’13 Drink now – 2020
  • 1990 Mature look; spices, some earth; warm and fully mature; good depth and finish. 90/100 June ’13 Drink now.

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