2020 Château Cos d'Estournel En Primeur
Released this morning at £900 per six bottles in bond, the 2020 vintage of Château Cos d'Estournel also marks the 20th anniversary of owner Michel Reybier's purchase of the estate. A special black and gold label has been created for the occasion and there is definitely something of a trend emerging for such unique labels, potentially with an impact on future investment value.
The Cos label evokes the black and gold livery of Mouton 2000; but more recently we saw 2015 Château Margaux make some staggering price rises after it was released with a special bottling to mark the passing of Paul Pontallier. That was a unique (and very sad) occasion, but it does suggest there will be an appetite for such labels from collectors in the future.
Fortunately, the wine itself is more than up to the occasion, described by Lisa Perotti-Brown MW as possessing 'jaw-dropping energy' (96-98 points) with 97 points from Jane Anson and 97-98 from Suckling. James Lawther MW for Jancisrobinson.com sums the wine up beautifully, calling it "Big and bold with marked tension and supercharged but finely hewn tannins", scoring it a standout 18.5 points.
Bordeaux En Primeur, Landing in spring 2023
To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
Producer Profile
Château Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe Grand Cru Classé
Château Cos d'Estournel is a Deuxième Cru Classé in St-Estèphe, established in 1811 by Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, who also gave the estate its name. 'Cos' is a local dialect term for 'hill of pebbles'. D’Estournel kept his wines outside of the negociant system, with the result that they found a wider range of customers around the world than some comparable estates.
The wine was exported to India, leading to the East Indian design influence at the château, with its famous elephants which are so visible from the road as you approach. Cos was also one of the first estates to bottle and label their wines at the château. The 100 hectare estate is planted with a slightly higher proportion of Merlot than the norm for this commune, contributing to the rich mouthfeel and texture which is a hallmark of Cos.
In the early 1970s Cos came under the ownership of the Ginestet and Prats families and was run by them for many years, first by Bruno Prats and then his son Guillaume. Since 2000, Cos has been owned by entrepreneur Michel Reybier.
Pagodes de Cos might be called the 'second wine' but perhaps a 'second label' is a more accurate term. The wine is in fact from a separate plot of vines, averaging forty years of age. The name comes from the distinctive pagoda-like oriental towers at the château. 'Le G d'Estournel' is a third label, known until 2020 as Goulée du Ch. d’Estournel, which comes from a separate vineyard in the Médoc. Reybier acquired the vineyard in the early 2000s having identified the potential of the terroir.
| RED | 2020 | 1 case | Château Cos d'Estournel | 75cl | £720 per case of 6 | Château Cos d'Estournel 2020 / 1 case / 75cl £720 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes“62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot. Cask sample. Purple-black colour to the rim. Deep and dense (like an endless pool) but aromatically restrained. Some cassis with aeration. Big and bold with marked tension and supercharged but finely hewn tannins. Enough fruit to provide unctuosity. Fresh, dry and saline through to the finish. Powerful but sculpted. Very long ageing. (JL) 13.5%. Drink 2030 – 2055. 18.5 points.” (JL), Jancisrobinson.com, Apr 21------"The 2020 Cos d’Estournel is a very different proposition to the Les Pagodes, more so than in other years. Much more intense on the nose of intense black fruit, it is beautifully defined, with enticing scents of blackberry, Dorset plum and topnotes of blueberry and briar. After 30 minutes in the glass, it develops more Saint-Estèphe-like traits: freshly tilled soil, cigar box and touches of warm gravel. There is an openness to these inviting aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins (so different from the "iron girders" of yore). There is freshness and a sense of light in this Cos d’Estournel, though the backbone remains in situ on the cedar and mint finish (a nod to neighboring Pauillac, perhaps), then a lingering marine/seaweed note on the aftertaste. This is a finely crafted, very succinct Cos d’Estournel that may well be hiding something up its sleeve for after bottling, and I suspect it will gain more spine during its barrel aging. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com ------"You need to take a little time to let the concentrated flavours seep out, this is a long hauler. The tannins build slowly but surely through the palate, sombre and serious right now, particularly for an estate that is known for its exuberance. The opulence is there if you give it time, and as the tannins elongate and relax, richer notes of bilberry fruits, toasted cedar, salted chocolate, turmeric and black pepper spice arrives. Harvest September 10 to 24. A 3.9pH is the highest since 2003, but any threat of low acidity is balanced by high tannins, and relatively low alcohol. A yield of 39hl/ha (43hl/ha in 2019). Drinking Window 2027 - 2044. 97 points" Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine------"The 2020 Cos d'Estournel is composed of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot. The harvest took place September 10–24 with a yield of 39 hectoliters per hectare. The alcohol weighs in at 13.46% with a pH of 3.9 and an IPT (total phenolic index) of 80. It is being aged in French oak barrels, 55% new. Deep purple-black in color, it pops with explosive scents of ripe red and black currants, black cherry preserves and black raspberries, followed by sparks of violets, wild sage, pencil lead and clove oil, with emerging hints of iron ore and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate has amazing elegance and grace contrasted by jaw-dropping energy, featuring a firm frame of finely grained tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with a whole firework display of mineral nuances. I love the way this Cos d'Estournel shimmies and shines—a unique vintage signature expressed so beautifully at this estate! Drink 2018-2060. 96-98 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, RobertParker.com------"This is a very refined, polished Cos with superb finesse and length. Medium-to full-bodied, very fine and persistent. Really long with beautiful tannins. Rich, but fresh and linear. Yet, the alcohol is around 13.5%. 62% cabernet and 38% merlot. 97-98 points" jamessuckling.com |
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