About the Wine

Cos d'Estournel is a second growth winery in the 1855 Grand Cru Classification. The wines are considered some of the most well-produced in Saint-Estephe. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate is calling the 2010 Pagodes de Cos "the best second wine ever made at Cos." The Latour adjacent property is no doubt one of Bordeaux's most well-established properties but the 2010 Pagodes de Cos punches well above its "2nd label" destination. Impeccably refined with an everlasting finish this wine will tantalize your senses as it dances across your palate. Here's your opportunity to discover what has the critics buzzing!

About the Winery

Born in 1762 during the reign of Louis XV and died in1853 under Napoleon III, at the remarkable age of 91, Louis Gaspard d'Estournel had one sole passion: Cos. Having inherited a few vines near the village of Cos, he recognized, in 1811, the quality of their wine and decided to vinify them separately. Very rapidly, Cos d'Estournel's wine exceeded the prices of the most prestigious wines and was exported as far as India. In 1852, overwhelmed with debts he had accumulated in order to extend and beautify his estate, Louis was obliged to sell Cos to a London banker called Martyns. Château Cos d’Estournel has belonged to Michel Reybier since 2000. Mr. Reybier’s objective has been to uphold the château’s high standards and constant quest for excellence while at the same time continuing the avant-garde style initiated by Louis Gaspard d’Estournel.

In the old Gascon language, the word 'Cos' means 'The Hill of Pebbles'. And as a matter of fact, the hill of Cos, which is situated on the banks of the Gironde, is an impressive accumulation of Quaternary gravel wrested from the distant mountains of the Massif Central and the Pyrenees and laid on Saint-Estèphe's limestone bed when the primeval river receded. Shaped into well-drained slopes by the erosion, these exceptionally deep layers of gravel are a true geological curiosity and also one of the world's most precious terroir, for it forces the old vines planted on its heights to thrust their roots into the arid soil.

For decades, the same team of grape-pickers has returned to Cos d’Estournel year after year, leaving their village in southern Spain at harvest time every autumn.

Reviews

Probably the best second wine ever made at Cos (although the 2009 should not be discounted), the 2010 Les Pagodes de Cos is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot finishing at 14% natural alcohol. This wine exhibits beautiful, silky tannins as well as sweet, rich mulberry and black currant fruit with hints of spring flowers, licorice, and subtle toast. A full-bodied, opulent, and -ideal- second wine, most people who have tasted it would probably agree that it is actually better than many vintages of Cos d-Estournel from the 1960s and 1970s. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. These are two terrific wines from Cos d'Estournel. Proprietor Michel Reybier will have to continue his great success over the next decade without his top lieutenant, Jean-Guillaume Prats, who has taken another job, but the estate seems to be in superlative condition, and at the very top of its game. ~93 Wine Advocate

Love the nose to this wine, with spices and berries and currants. Full and very refined with super silky tannins and a long long finish. So refined. Second wine of Cos. ~92-93 James Suckling

This big, rich, chocolaty wine is powerfully built with considerable extract. The wine is huge and solid, its tannins extreme and dense. At the same time, the juicy blackberry fruit drives the wine into an opulent aftertaste. ~92 Wine Enthusiast

The 2010 Les Pagodes de Cos has a lifted and vibrant bouquet with red and black fruit, tobacco and humidor scents, just a hint of desiccated orange peel in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, quite Pauillac in style with pencil lead/graphite notes infusing the black fruit towards the finish that shows good body and persistence. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. ~92 Vinous Media