Château Cos d'Estournel
A Saint-Estèphe Second Growth famed for its exotic pagoda-topped chai, founded by the 'Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe' and owned since 2000 by Michel Reybier.
About Château
Château Cos d'Estournel is the flamboyant landmark of Saint-Estèphe, instantly known by the oriental pagodas and carved gates crowning its cellar. Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel, who inherited the Cos vineyard in 1791, gave the estate its name around 1810 and built it into a celebrated property, earning the nickname 'Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe' for his thriving export trade to the East. The wine was classified a Second Growth in 1855. After passing through many hands, including the Ginestet and Prats families who shaped its modern reputation, the estate was acquired in 2000 by entrepreneur Michel Reybier, who in 2008 built a state-of-the-art gravity-fed cellar. The style is among the most opulent and structured of the Médoc, with a notably high Merlot proportion for the appellation lending richness to its Cabernet backbone. Production typically runs around 32,000 cases across the Grand Vin and second wine, Les Pagodes de Cos.
Flagship wines
- Château Cos d'Estournel (Grand Vin)
- Les Pagodes de Cos
- Cos d'Estournel Blanc
Editorial notes
The most opulent of the Saint-Estèphe classed growths; ages superbly, and Les Pagodes de Cos delivers much of the house character at a friendlier price.