Château Cos d’Estournel: 5 things to know

Located on the left bank of the Gironde, the Château Cos d’Estournel is a great castle of Bordeaux with international notoriety. This domain with a very ancient history, dates from the 18th century. The vineyard extends over more than 67 hectares of vines in the heart of the Saint-Estèphe appellation.

The château has established itself in Bordeaux as a grand cru classé with its unrivaled style.

1: Château Cos d’Estournel is a Grand Cru Classé

The great wine Château Cos d’Estournel is one of the second classified growths of the Médoc in the official classification of Bordeaux wines of 1855.

From the oldest vines, this classified growth is particularly elegant and expresses the richness of a unique and very specific terroir of Saint-Estèphe wines.

2: The origins of the name Cos d’Estournel

“Cos” is a Gascon word meaning hill of pebbles, “d’Estounel” is the surname of the founder of the Château: Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The château takes its name because it is located on a pile of gravel mixed with calcareous clay. This excess of gravel, specific to Cos, therefore forces the vine to sink its roots deeper to draw its needs from the soil.

3: An atypical and assertive style

Château Cos d’Estournel is one of the most atypical estates in the Bordeaux region. The property of the domain makes its visitors travel. And for good reason, the castle has an assertive style for the East. The building looks like a real Indian palace. The main building surmounted by monumental pagodas houses the Château’s cellars. These pagodas are also visible on the labels of the classified growth.

This style is accentuated inside the Château, where a true symbol of the estate is present: the elephant.

Exported to India in 1838, the wine is at the origin of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel’s passion for these countries. This is how the founder of Cos, also nicknamed “the Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe”, draws inspiration from his expeditions abroad to imagine the architecture of Cos d’Estournel and thus create a mecca for wine in atypical and assertive style.

4: COS 100, the vintage tribute to the women of the Château

To pay tribute to the women who have contributed to making Cos d’Estournel unique, the château has created a specific cuvée called COS 100. This wine comes from a historical plot of the vineyard, planted in 1915 and called the “Parcelle des Femmes” . At that time, the women of the property worked on the estate when the men were at war.

The COS 100 is only produced in large formats: balthazars and double magnums. These formats allow the wine an exceptional capacity for ageing, a conservation that can reach decades.

The second specificity of COS 100 is that the bottle has no label, the inscriptions are engraved directly on the glass.

For a century, generations have succeeded one another to preserve the rarity of this vintage. COS 100 reflects all the history and authenticity of Château Cos d’Estournel. This wine, which represents commitment and excellence, is today highly sought after by lovers of great wines and collectors.

5: The Château produces exceptional vintages

Over the past few decades, Château Cos d’Estournel has produced very great vintages. Among the greatest successes, the estate has excellent vintages such as 1982, 1985 and the 1986 vintage. Exceptional vintages such as 1990, 1995 and the 2000 vintage. Then particularly remarkable vintages: the 2003 vintage, the wines of 2005 or the majestic 2010 vintage.

Finally, the Château has even achieved excellence with a score of 100/100 from Robert Parker for its 2009 vintage.

Our selection

Château Cos d’Estournel 2009

Robert Parker Wine Advocate 100/100 – wine tasting march 2019

“Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cos d’Estournel features a myriad of wonderfully intense notes, including blackcurrant pastilles, redcurrant jelly, kirsch and blueberry compote with hints of rose hip tea, sautéed herbs, underbrush, pencil shavings and Indian spices. Full-bodied, rich and opulently fruited in the mouth, it has beautifully plush tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.”

Discover the Château Cos d’Estournel 2009

Château Cos d’Estournel 2010

Robert Parker Wine Advocate 99/100 – wine tasting march 2020

“Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Cos d’Estournel unfurls slowly, measuredly, releasing delicate notes of dried mulberries, stewed plums and blackcurrant pastilles before giving way to notions of potpourri, black cherry compote and chocolate box plus touches of dried sage, tobacco and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid foundation of very firm, grainy tannins and very lively acidity supporting the remarkable intensity of tightly wound fruit layers, finishing very long and fragrant.”

Discover the Château Cos d’Estournel 2010