Les Pagodes de Cos St. Estephe 2016

The 2016 Les Pagodes de Cos is blended of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46.5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc. It has a deep garnet-purple color and opens with notions of warm cassis, black cherries and smoked meats giving way to scents of charcoal, underbrush and cloves plus a waft of new leather. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with generous black fruits and some compelling red fruit sparks, supported by ripe, grainy tannins and finishing long and spicy.

The 2016 Les Pagodes de Cos has a wonderful bouquet of vibrant, expressive red berry fruit, strawberry and raspberry, conveying a tangible sense of mineralite and tension, the new oak is very well intergrated here. The balanced palate offers fine-boned tannins and very well judged acidity. Utterly harmonious, with a caressing and beautifully poised finish. This is a top-class Saint-Estephe that will age with panache. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.