Wine Advisor
Cos d'Estournel, Blanc 2020
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc features a higher proportion of Sémillon (34%) than the Pagodes, and it's richer and more textural, bursting with aromas of lemongrass, nectarine, peach and ginger, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and satiny palate.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is composed of 66% Sauvignon Blanc and 34% Semillon, with an alcohol of 14% and a pH of 3.15. The harvest took place August 31–September 10 with a yield of 24 hectoliters per hectare. It is aging in French oak barrels, 8% new. It bursts from the glass with vibrant notes of lime blossoms, fresh grapefruit and white peaches, plus hints of ripe pears and lemongrass with wafts of chalk dust and wet pebbles. The medium-bodied palate is charged with intense citrus and stony flavors, supported by a seriously racy line of acidity, finishing long and minerally.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is rich, creamy and sensual. Apricot, peach, white flowers, chamomile and lightly honeyed accents all build in the glass. The 2020 is a rich, textured white for gastronomy. I would love to have it at the dinner table.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc balances the radiance of a warm growing season with the energy of a cooler year so gracefully. Sémillon plays a greater role in the blend and that brings out a good deal of depth in the peach and orchard fruit flavors.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc has a complex nose with scents of honeysuckle, orchard fruit and hints of chamomile. It is very well defined with the Sémillon component becoming increasingly expressive with aeration. The palate is well balanced with impressive weight, again, driven by the Sémillon that lends both texture and complexity. This seems a little spicier and edgier than from barrel. Harmonious, quite detailed on the finish with touches of orange rind and ginger. This is a lovely dry white Bordeaux from the Cos d'Estournel team.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2020 Cos d’Estournel Blanc has an attractive nose, the Sémillon component more expressive than previous vintages, offering scents of beeswax, acacia honey, tinned white peaches and a hint of chamomile. The palate is crisp and taut on the entry, the spiciness on the front end and stem ginger and lemongrass getting the saliva flowing. Showing good weight and balance and an almost understated finish, this is quite simply a dry white Bordeaux that you want to keep drinking more of. Excellent.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A super white with dense mango, lemon and lime, as well as some clove and nutmeg. Full-bodied, really complete and long. Sensational. So much potential here. 66% sauvignon blanc and 34% semillon.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Dried tropical fruits like mangoes and green papaya, with lemons and green apples. Limes, too. Full-bodied yet tight and compacted with great length and persistence. Muscular yet fresh. 66% sauvignon blanc and 34% semillon. Drinkable but needs five or six years to soften.
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.
