2011 Saint-Estèphe, Cos d'Estournel
About Producer
In Gascon dialect, ‘Cos’ means ´hill of pebbles’ and this estate is named after Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel who inherited the property in 1791. He expanded the vineyards and commissioned in 1811 the design of the stunning oriental edifice, which serves as cellar room, to remind him of the time he had spent as a trader in Africa, India and the Far East. The Cos d’Estournel we know today owes much to Bruno Prats, a qualified oenologist, who became manager of the estate in 1971. In 2000, Cos was sold to Michel Reybier who subsequently launched massive modernisation works, including a state-of-the-art cellar, with the ambition to make the best possible wine.
Varietals
Blend of 65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 5% cabernet franc. Only 30% of the crop went to the grand vin.
About Appellation
With 1,229ha of vines, and roughly equidistant from the city of Bordeaux and the Pointe de Grave, the northernmost tip of the Médoc peninsula, Saint-Estèphe is the second largest AOC communal appellation of the Médoc. Though the first vines dated back to Roman times, the expansion of vineyards started in the 14th century with the creation of estates that still exist today. The soil is a mix of gravel, clay and sand, with a slightly higher proportion of clay than elsewhere in the Médoc. Hence Saint-Estèphe has a unique ability to hold water reserves. The best vineyard sites are the gravelly mounds facing the Gironde estuary where cabernet sauvignon is the majority varietal. In recent years, there has been a shift by some estates toward merlot which performs better on clay-rich soils. Saint-Estèphe is home to 5 grands crus classés in the 1855 Bordeaux classification.
Tasting Notes
Inviting nose of dark fruits, baking spices, graphite, forest floor and floral scents, polished mouthfeel with smooth texture, ample volume and good depth, oodles of flavours of blackberry, blueberry, black currant, dark plum, hints of clove and liquorice intermingled with underbrush notes, well-judged acidity and resolved tannins leading onto a long, supple finish. From a period when Cos d'Estournel was somewhat geared towards more extraction and opulence, this is a delightful wine that is well into its drinking plateau. Brimming with graceful elegance and subtle complexity, it's rich and voluptuous, yet nothing is off-kilter. I particularly love the mouthwatering freshness coupled with a lively bead of acidity on the palate that adds a pleasurable feel to the aftertaste. While lacking the density and vigour of greater years, it's a commendable effort for an often overlooked vintage that is coming round quite nicely. (07/2024)