Producer Profile
Château Cos d`Estournel
Château Cos d`Estournel, located in the south of the appellation bordering Pauillac, is a leading estate in Saint-Estèphe. Its 100-hectare vineyard is situated on a fine, gravelly, south-facing clay ridge next to Château Lafite-Rothschild.
Taking its name from the local Gascon dialect, Cos meaning ‘hill of pebbles’, the full name Cos d`Estournel dates back to 1810 when it was bestowed on the Château by Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel.
Unlike many other Left Bank wines, Cos wines have a higher blend of Merlot but their full-bodied tannic complexity defies rival wines from Pauillac. Typically, this château produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and some Cabernet Franc.
OUR VERDICT
Overlooking First Growth Château Lafite across the appellation boundary, the wines of Cos are undeniably rich, full and age-worthy. Arguably more flamboyant too in the glass than its prestigious and higher-classified neighbour, it deserves its name as one of the ‘super-seconds’ of Bordeaux.