Composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, yields for the grand vin in 2017 were 43 hectoliters per hectare, and it was aged in 60% new oak. It came in at an alcohol of 13% and an IPT of 68. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel needs a little coaxing to unfurl, revealing beautiful expressions of preserved plums, boysenberries, blackcurrant pastilles and wild blueberries with hints of Indian spices, menthol, lilacs and mossy tree bark plus a compelling suggestion of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a solid backbone of firm, grainy tannins and well-knit freshness supporting the tightly wound blue and black fruits layers, finishing long and fragrant. This wine will need a good 5-7 years in bottle before it begins to blossom and should go on for at least another 40 years. I expect this wine to be a blockbuster of a head-turner when I come back and taste it at 10 years of age! Due to its proximity to the Gironde estuary, none of the vines were impacted by frost in 2017 at Cos d’Estournel. Flowering took place on May 22, which was exceedingly early. In June, there were early signs of water stress, and the vines were slowing down and sluggish, according to technical director Dominique Arangoïts. But the vines at this vineyard are now coming in at an average age of 55 years old, which suggests they are capable of managing a bit of water stress. Thankfully, by the end of June, there was enough rain to reinvigorate the vines. This hydric stress appears to have equated to the formation of relatively small, thick-skinned berries in 2017. Thanks to the early flowering, it was an early start to the harvest: September 12. Harvest continued through until the end of the month.
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2065
Reviewer Name: Lisa perrotti-Brown
ExternalLink: www.robertparker.com
External Id: https://www.robertparker.com/articles/g8wJhrKXFCytRzEFS
Quite the bottle here! Spices, such as nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as dried meat and plums with cedar and sandalwood. Full body. Deep and dense in the center palate and a long, long finish. Shows finesse and tightness. Very polished tannins. Long and ethereal. Try after 2023.
Drinking Window: 2023 - 0000
Reviewer Name: James Suckling
ExternalLink: www.jamessuckling.com
External Id: James Suckling Tasting Notes
A bold, dramatic wine, the 2017 Cos d'Estournel is seriously impressive today. Time in barrel has done wonders for the 2017, a wine that has really gained depth in élevage. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice, smoke and incense infuse the 2017 with tons of character, with the 60% new oak very well judged. In 2017, Cos has a level of textural resonance that eludes many Saint-Estèphes. The blend is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc.
Drinking Window: 2027 - 2057
Reviewer Name: Antonio Galloni
ExternalLink: www.vinous.com
External Id: Vinous Tasting Notes
Cos d’Estournel is a Bordeaux master class: a wine that has fine, precise concentration and yet elegance. It broods in the glass, very dark with an inky-purple colour. The nose has elements of pure cassis, small berries, dark fruit, cinnamon and a touch of anise. The palate is perfectly structured: everything is in balance, including the oak, tannin and fruit. Harmonious and ripe fruit that lingers on the palate.
Château Cos d'Estournel is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths) in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
Château Cos d'Estournel produces the eponymous grand vin, the second wine since the 1994 vintage, Les Pagodes de Cos from the estate's younger vines, as well as Château Marbuzet from fruit of nearby plots. The property is adjacent to Château Lafite-Rothschild in the neighboring commune of Pauillac.
The name Cos (with the S pronounced) refers to a "hill of pebbles" in Gascon dialect and the name Cos d'Estournel was given in 1810 by Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel.
The estate has changed hands several times during its history, starting in 1852 when it was purchased by the English banker Charles Cecil Martyns. In 1869, it was sold to the Spanish Errazu family only to be sold again 20 years later in 1889 to the Bordeaux-based Hostein family. Through his marriage to Marie-Thérèse Hostein, Louis-Victor Charmolue, who also owned Château Montrose, gained control of Cos d'Estournel in 1894. In in 1917, it was sold to Fernand Ginestet.
The château has remained in the Ginestet family since then, becoming in 1970 part of Domaines Prats, the combined holdings of the Ginestet and Prats families, and controlled by Bruno Prats.
In June 2008 it was announced that Michel Reybier, current owner of Cos d'Estournel, purchased Napa winery Chateau Montelena for an undisclosed sum.[2] By November 2008, however, this agreement was cancelled,[3] the termination of the transaction by Chateau Montelena stated to be due to that Reybier Investments had been "unable to meet its obligations.
Château Cos d'Estournel produces the eponymous grand vin, the second wine since the 1994 vintage, Les Pagodes de Cos from the estate's younger vines, as well as Château Marbuzet from fruit of nearby plots. The property is adjacent to Château Lafite-Rothschild in the neighboring commune of Pauillac.
The name Cos (with the S pronounced) refers to a "hill of pebbles" in Gascon dialect and the name Cos d'Estournel was given in 1810 by Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel.
The estate has changed hands several times during its history, starting in 1852 when it was purchased by the English banker Charles Cecil Martyns. In 1869, it was sold to the Spanish Errazu family only to be sold again 20 years later in 1889 to the Bordeaux-based Hostein family. Through his marriage to Marie-Thérèse Hostein, Louis-Victor Charmolue, who also owned Château Montrose, gained control of Cos d'Estournel in 1894. In in 1917, it was sold to Fernand Ginestet.
The château has remained in the Ginestet family since then, becoming in 1970 part of Domaines Prats, the combined holdings of the Ginestet and Prats families, and controlled by Bruno Prats.
In June 2008 it was announced that Michel Reybier, current owner of Cos d'Estournel, purchased Napa winery Chateau Montelena for an undisclosed sum.[2] By November 2008, however, this agreement was cancelled,[3] the termination of the transaction by Chateau Montelena stated to be due to that Reybier Investments had been "unable to meet its obligations.
Instead, a heavy clay and limestone base dominates this area, resulting in poorer-draining soils, delayed ripening, and higher acidity levels in the wines.
These factors mean that, over the last few decades, many Saint-Estèphe's winemakers have increased their emphasis on Merlot, as it performs better on clay-rich soils than Cabernet Sauvignon. Because wines from here have traditionally been rather austere and tight in youth, Merlot also serves to soften the texture. Clay soils ability to retain moisture can come in handy during the occasional drought-like summers that have been known to bring a Bordeaux vintage to its knees. Other grapes permitted are Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Côt (Malbec) and Petit Verdot.