2012 Chateau Cos D'Estournel 1.5L

Bright, full ruby. Aromas of fresh blackcurrant, graphite and bitter chocolate are complicated by delicately smoky minerality and lifted by an enticing floral quality. Fine-grained, generous and sweet, with plenty of sound acidity giving noteworthy precision to the palate. Finishes dense and long, with soft, polished tannins and lingering notes of red and darker fruits. A lovely Cos, more refined and less exotic than some previous vintages. You can tell they are de-leafing a great deal less at Cos of late and vintages since 2009 have shown less "solar" personalities and more precision. Interestingly, this is the first year in a long time that I recall cabernet franc making it into the grand vin at Cos. Winemaker Dominique Arangoits told me it's from a one-hectare parcel of 35-year-old vines on clay that ripened well, and it no doubt contributed to this wine's bright perfume. The grand vin represents 50% of the total production in 2012.