Wine Advisor
Cos d'Estournel, Blanc 2021
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Including fully 29% Sémillon, the 2021 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is a terrific effort from holdings in the northern Médoc. Offering up aromas of confit citrus, crisp orchard fruit, lime zest, pastry cream and freshly braked bread, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and incisive, with chalky structuring dry extract and a penetrating finish. There's no question that it's one of the Médoc's most interesting white wines.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Gently reductive aromas of pear, nectarine and gooseberry introduce the 2021 Cos d'Estournel Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, ample and satiny wine that's seamless and enveloping, with a bright spine of tangy acidity. As readers may remember, it's a blend of 71% Sauvignon Blanc and fully 29% Sémillon.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is layered and serious, with intense yet subtle notes of dried pineapple, lemon, crushed stones and shells. Salty. Long and driven with vivacity and energy. So minerally, in every sense. Grabs hold of you. 71% sauvignon blanc and 29% semillon.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Aromas of sliced pears, green apple, matchstick, and dried papaya follow through to a full body with a solid core of fruit and phenolics that give it structure and tightness. Slightly chewy at the end. Very structured. Give this time to open and show its true self. Try after 2026.
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.
