Château La Couspaude 2018

As always oak-driven; angular on the palate, robust, with a slightly dry finish.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Couspaude is a touch closed to begin, offering glimpses of 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.

This has a solidly built core of red and black currant fruit spliced with an alder streak and backed by subtle black tea and mineral accents through the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2022 through 2032. 3,000 cases made, 750 cases imported.

Dark plum colour, with the palate kicking in with black cherry and plum compote. Unquestionably heavily oak-influenced, with liquorice and mocha. Closes down on the finish. 100% new oak barrels. Vineyards on heavily limestone soils with a yield of 35hl/ha.

Blackberries, blueberries and violets. Dark-purple fruit. It’s full-bodied with very polished tannins that are beautiful and very intense. Chewy and creamy. Needs time to open. A little tight now. Give it time to open. Try after 2024.

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.

Round, rich, fruity, with oaky and smoky notes, packed with espresso, licorice, chocolate, and black cherries. The wine is forward, leaving a solid layer of ripe, sweet black cherries.

Dark ruby garnet, deep core, purple reflections with faint brightening on the rim. Delicate notes of noble wood, liquorice and cassis with discreet nougat and some cedar. Juicy, ripe black cherry, good freshness and integrated tannins. Mineral on the finish with fine red berry notes. Certain ageing potential.

Dense dark purple colour. Pure and modern nose offering ripe dark berries, crème de cassis, liquorice, new oak and some smoky notes. Dense and concentrated palate, youthful with a rather high extraction, generous dark fruit, spicy and powerful finish.

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 purple garnet with a violet rim. Delicate bouquet of blackberries and dark fine woods, followed by perfumed pipe tobacco. On the palate, a tightly woven body with perfectly supportive drive. Aromatic finish with cassis drops and cooled fruit tea. Well done!

Kunz barrel sample 19: velvety, powerful bouquet, blueberries, chocolate cream, mocha. Creamy, full palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, dense, finely muscular structure, powerful aromatics, fresh finish.

Fruity, subtly jammy, powerful bouquet: strawberry jam, cherries, licorice, caramel, mocha, chocolate cream. Dense, creamy, opulent palate with plenty of fine tannins, concentrated structure, strong, sweet fruit, complex, robust aromatics, and a lavish finish. 18/20 2025 - 2040

La Couspaude 2018 is deep garnet-purple in color. It is a little closed to start, with baked plums and boysenberries emerging, plus pencil shavings and tilled soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has lovely freshness, firm, ripe, rounded tannins and a lively finish.

More natural clarity in the fruit definition than in previous vintages; nevertheless, at this stage the élevage still weighs too much on the mid-palate and the finish.

Logo on the cork: A in a circle (Amorim)

The vineyard, on the edge of Saint-Emilion city, has produced a juicy, well-structured wine. Restrained tannins back up ripe black-currant fruitiness. An attractive smoky perfume from rich Cabernet Franc in the blend enhances complexity and density. Drink the wine from 2026.