2020 Pagodes de Cos d'Estournel, St-Estèphe
The slight smarting sensation induced by the price of Cos d'Estournel's grand vin might be eased a little when you consider Pagodes de Cos, superb value at just £186 per six bottles. Tasting at the estate, this second label (not a second wine, as it comes from a dedicated vineyard on the estate) is sometimes almost as impressive and often more seductive than the grand vin itself. With 93-94 points from Suckling and drinking just a year after landing, we suggest grabbing a dozen or so bottles of this to drink, whilst setting aside a case of Cos for investment.
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.
