Saturated dark ruby. Exotic, port-like aromas of blackberry liqueur, mocha and grilled meat. Fat, lush, saline and sweet, conveying an impression of extreme port-like ripeness. Huge, mouth-saturating flavors of dark berries and chocolate. Not heavy but doesn't exactly dance on the palate. Does this need years to shed some of its baby fat or will it always be a bit monolithic? Finishes with a boatload of ripe, broad tannins and palate-staining fruit. In a distinctly extreme style, and yet this maintained its sweetness of fruit for days in the recorked bottle. This is bound to be one of the most controversial wines of the vintage. I look forward to checking back in on it in 10 or 15 years.

(a blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, and 2% cabernet franc; 80% new oak; 33 hectoliters per hectare; 14.5% alcohol; IPT 99; 56% selection for the grand vin Inky purple. Extremely ripe aromas of red fruits macerated in alcohol, espresso and dark chocolate (almost Banyuls- or port-like), with a more refreshing floral element emerging with aeration. Enters the mouth smooth, sweet and floral, with a velvety texture, but then turns slightly hollow in the mid-palate, hinting at overripe red cherry and dark plum flavors. Finishes dry and a touch astringent (heat-stressed merlot?). By no means a bad wine, but this version of Cos has more in common with a late-harvested negroamaro from southern Italy or an overripe fruit bomb from Napa than a fine Medoc wine. As much as I liked the 2008, I find this wine overdone, and I don't believe it will improve much with time.