Wine Advisor
Cos d'Estournel, Blanc 2018
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 Blanc is composed of 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Sémillon and was matured in 7% new barriques (13.88% alcohol). It opens very slowly, with a lot of coaxing, to reveal fragrant scents of lime blossoms, yellow apples and fresh grapefruit plus hints of crushed rocks, straw and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate has a beautiful satiny texture and fantastically intense citrus and apple layers with loads of mineral and herbal sparks on the long finish. Give it a good couple of years in bottle to open up, and drink it over the following 10 to 12 years or more.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A blend of 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Sémillon aging in 7% new barriques (13.88% alcohol), the Cos d'Estournel 2018 Blanc is a little closed to begin, opening out to energetic white peach, pink grapefruit and green guava notes plus touches of honeyed toast, orange blossom and coriander seed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with exotic fruit and stone fruit layers, marked by a seriously refreshing line and finishes long and honey laced.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is creamy and expressive in the glass, with the natural resonance of the Sémillon very much front and center. Lemon confit, dried flowers, chamomile, marzipan and sage open effortlessly in the glass. This is a decidedly fresh, vibrant style.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2018 Cos d'Estournel Blanc reflects a move to give the Blanc more Sémillon than in the past. Creamy and ample in feel, the 2018 offers superb richness and class from start to finish. Sémillon adds mid-palate texture and slightly richer shades to the fruit, but the wine remains Sauvignon Blanc-driven in its energy and brightness. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint and crushed rocks lead into the finely sculpted finish. The blend is 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Sémillon.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Cos d’Estournel Blanc is showing nicely in bottle, partly because of the increased proportion of Sémillon in the blend. That lends complexity on the nose, which displays gorgeous honeysuckle and yellow plum aromas, if perhaps more oiliness than I found from bottle. The palate has tightened up a little, feeling less rounded than before, with intense orange pith, apricot and tangy marmalade toward the finish. A lovely Cos d’Estournel Blanc that I am intrigued to see age in bottle.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2018 Cos d’Estournel Blanc is a large step up from the Pagodes de Cos Blanc, mainly thanks to the larger contribution of Sémillon at one-third of the blend. It has a fresh bouquet with honeysuckle and yellow flower aromas, though it perhaps does not possess the amplitude of the previous vintage. The palate is rounded and candied on the entry with orange pith and light apricot notes, a pinch of spice on the finish. That said, again, comparing it to the 2017 it does not quite have the same tension and mineralité. Still, it should be an enjoyable white Bordeaux to drink over the next 10-12 years.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Green papaya, pomelo, cream, flint and hints of wax on the nose. It’s full-bodied with bright acidity and a creamy texture. Concentrated and refined with seamless layers, leading to a long, mineral finish. The phenols with fruit and acidity are a formidable combination. Keeps going. Try from 2022.
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.
