Chateau Cos d'Estournel Pagodes de Cos 2017 (750ml)

 

Rated 94 Points by James Suckling

 

This shows wonderful depth and richness, yet it’s so fresh and vivid with dark berries, dark plums and spice.  Full-bodied, balanced and creamy with beautiful flavors and structure.  So many spices in this.  Only 12% alcohol.  Second wine of Château Cos-d’Estournel.  Better after 2022.

 

Rated 93 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

This wine has velvet tannins and lusciously ripe black fruits.  Despite the tannins, it is more about fruit and ripeness than about structure.  Drink 2022.

 

Rated 92 Points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 

A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, this second wine accounts for about 55% of production.  Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Les Pagodes de Cos sashays out of the glass with youthful, presumptuous notes of Black Forest cake, raspberry preserves, cassis and spice cake with nuances of lavender, chocolate box, anise and underbrush.  Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful elegance and precision, with a very finely grained frame and seamless freshness supporting the soft-spoken red and black fruits, finishing with a quiet intensity.

 

Rated 90 Points by Jeb Dunnuck

 

Deeper ruby-colored and based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pagodes De Cos is similarly hued to the grand vin and offers classy notes of creme de cassis, red currants, toasted spice, dried tobacco, and graphite.  It's rich, medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, yet relatively closed on the palate.  Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the coming decade.  Rating: 90+

 

Rated 90 Points by 90 Decanter

 

This is enjoyable right off the bat, with its firm dark chocolate, liquorice and cassis character, joined by licks of gourmet patisserie swirling through - exactly what you expect from Pagodes de Cos, without losing its sense of restraint.  I like the subdued power, and it seems more in the style of 2014 than 2015 or 2016.  It's a touch austere but appealing, with a sumptuous touch that keeps it in the Cos stable.  60% of production went to the second wine this year, almost entirely from separate plots.  Just 20% of the plots are interchangeable between grand vin and second wine, depending on the vintage character.  Barrel Sample

 

Chateau Cos d’Estournel Les Pagodes de Cos 2017

 

Since 1994, Chateau Cos d’Estournel has produced a Second Wine called Les Pagodes de Cos, made with grapes from vines that are 35 years old, on average.  Dedicated to the simpler pleasures in life, this wine is lively and energetic, with intensely fresh fruit revealing itself on the palate.

 

Country:  France

 

Region:  Bordeaux

 

Appellation:  Saint-Estephe

 

Classification:  2nd Wine of Chateau Cos d’Estournel

 

Environment:  Sustainable

 

Blend:  56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot

 

Alcohol:  13%

 

Wine Certification:  AOC

 

The Wine

 

Produced since 1994 from a dedicated vineyard whose vines are on average 40 years old, Pagodes de Cos is Château Cos d'Estournel’s Second Wine.

 

Tasting
 

Nose

The aromatic bouquet vibrates with the intensity revealed in the brightness of the fruity scents.

Palate

Exalted by the purity of the fruit, the palate is thrilled by the succession of delicious sensations that unfold; a gourmet and velvety flesh in a dense, full body.  Sweet, lively and long on the palate, Pagodes de Cos d'Estournel 2017 is one of the great successes of this vintage.

 

The Vintage

 

A vintage of contrasts and challenges, the frost at the end of April 2017 nevertheless spared the superb terroir of the estate.  The 2017 vintage was therefore put together gradually.  With the constant attention paid to the vines, perfect knowledge of the plots, experience and know-how of the technical teams, and extremely precise vinification, Cos d'Estournel's Pagodes 2017 is a reward for all the work accomplished during the year.

 

 

Chateau Cos d’Estournel

 

An Exotic, Enigmatic Saint-Estephe

 

Undeniably one of the most iconic wine estates of the Saint-Estephe appellation, Chateau Cos d’Estournel has long seduced lovers of Bordeaux with its sultry, spicy, intensely flavored wines.  Imbued with its founder’s adventurous spirit and love of mysticism, this legendary estate stands out among the rest in so many ways…

 

The Estate

 

Located in the north of the Médoc, on the hill of Saint-Estèphe, Château Cos d'Estournel has a majestic appearance.  Like a real Maharajah's palace, the château and its pagodas astonish and captivate the eye.  In 1791, Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel inherited hectares of vines and built the estate.  An adventurer who travelled the world, his taste for the exotic and Eastern influences gave Château Cos d'Estournel its architecture, quite unique in the heart of Bordeaux's Left Bank.

 

Owned by Michel Reybier since 2000, Château Cos d'Estournel continues to shine in the Saint-Estèphe appellation and joins the ranks of the world's greatest wines, distinguishing itself by its unique style where a taste for beauty and excellence are a permanent quest.

 

The Vineyard

 

A major name among the great wines of Saint-Estèphe, Château Cos d'Estournel enjoys an exceptional geographical location.  Its vineyard is located on the edge of the plateau, in the immediate vicinity of the Gironde estuary.  There, the vineyard benefits from a maritime climate while being protected from severe weather.  The vines are planted on two slopes and a central plateau, benefiting from a perfect orientation and good ventilation.

 

 

Rated 93 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

This wine has velvet tannins and lusciously ripe black fruits.  Despite the tannins, it is more about fruit and ripeness than about structure.  Drink 2022.