Wine Advisor
Cos d'Estournel, Blanc 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon that was picked between 12 September and 10 October, matured in a very modest 7% new oak. It has a fragrant bouquet with lemon curd, lime flower and just a hint of grilled almond. The palate is very well balanced with fine mineralité on the entry. Fine tension here, although I would like to see it develop more persistence on the finish, which just cuts away a little swiftly at present.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Composed of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon, the Cos d'Estournel 2016 Blanc opens with exotic fruit notions of guava and passion fruit giving way to nuances of peach blossoms, honeysuckle and wild thyme. Medium-bodied, the palate is packed with tropical and stone fruit layers with a racy backbone and long, perfumed finish.
About the Producer
Located in the village of Saint-Estephe on the left bank of Bordeaux, France, Chateau Cos d'Estournel (also known as Chateau Estournel) is a second growth in the 1855 classification and is now recognized as one of the "super second growths". The history of Château Estournel is long and special, dating back to the end of the 18th century, when Louis Gaspard d'Estournel inherited a plot of land called "Cos" in the village of Saint-Estephe in 1791. He thus began to develop his winery. The property is located on a gentle rocky slope, "Cos" meaning "little rocky hill" in French, and the founder's surname, "d'Estournel The name of the winery is the result of the founder's surname "d'Estournel". Louis had a passion for wine and devoted himself to improving the quality of the winery, selling it several times due to financial pressures, only to buy it back after paying off his debts. In 2000, Michel Reybier and his family purchased the estate and have continued to write a new chapter for Château d'Estourde with the same passion and innovation. The vineyards of Château d'Estour cover 100 hectares near the mouth of the Gironde River. The mild maritime climate, the uniform sunshine and the smooth air flow contribute to the excellent terroir. The vineyards are covered with deep soils rich in gravel and limestone, with excellent drainage. Currently, two-thirds of the vineyard is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, with the remainder dominated by Merlot and a smaller percentage of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The average age of the vines used for the production of the main wine is about 55 years, and there are also some valuable old vines left in the vineyard, which can be 80 to 100 years old. In 2008, the new vineyard of Château d'Estour was inaugurated, the first in Bordeaux to be fully equipped with the gravity-flow method of winemaking. This is the first winery in Bordeaux to rely entirely on gravity flow to transport the grapes and the wine. The winery is currently equipped with 84 temperature-controlled stainless steel fermenters of different sizes, which allow the vinification of different plots and lots of grapes separately. Château d'Estour produces wines in the typical style of Saint-Estèphe, with concentrated and elegant flavors, rich layers, firm bones and a combination of complexity and finesse. Its main wine, Chateau Cos d'Estournel (Saint-Estephe, France), is a regular high scorer on the lists of major wine critics and wine reviewers. In addition to the main wine, the estate currently produces two red wines, including the secondary wine Pagodes de Cos (Saint-Estephe, France), and one white wine.
