Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2020

A Saint-Estephe wine combining power, minerality and vitality

The estate

Situated north of the Medoc, on the hill of Saint-Estephe, Cos d’Estournel appears in all its majesty. Like a true palace of the Maharajah, the chateau and its pagodas surprise and captivate the eye. In 1791, Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel inherited some hectares of vines and built the estate. A passionate adventurer who travelled the world, his taste for the exotic and the East inspired the architecture of Chateau Cos d'Estournel, truly unique in the Medoc. Owned by Michel Reybier since 2000, Chateau Cos d'Estournel continues to shine bright in the Saint-Estephe appellation and has joined the lineage of the greatest wines in the world. The wines of the estate are distinguished by their unique style, product of an enduring quest for beauty and excellence.

The wine

This 2020 vintage marks for Michel Reybier twenty years in the management of the property as well as 200 years of history at Chateau Cos d´Estournel. On this occasion, the 2020 vintage is unveiled in an exceptional bottle with a gold engraving illustrating the emblematic pagodas as well as the maxim uttered by Michel Reybier when the castle was first acquired in 2000: “It was Cos or nothing ".

The vineyard

Enjoying an exceptional geographical location, the Cos d'Estournel vineyard is situated on the edge of a plateau, in the immediate vicinity of the Gironde estuary. The vineyard benefits from a maritime climate and is protected from bad weather. The vines are planted on two hillsides and a central plateau, where they experience ideal sun exposure and great ventilation.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage will be remembered for the early development of the vines. Between October 2019 and February 2020, some episodes of rain helped create sufficient water reserves. A warm spring with heavy rainfall favored early but heterogeneous bud burst. Nevertheless, this heterogeneity was limited by work on the soil, which allowed it to heat up more quickly. While the warm temperatures and heavy rainfall in April raised concerns about the health of the vines, the good weather conditions in mid-May allowed for a rapid and uniform flowering. The months of June and July were extremely dry (5mm of precipitation in 55 days), causing significant water stress. Due to this dry weather accompanied by cool temperatures, a careful leaf stripping was carried out on the eastern side of the vineyard (where the sun rises), in order to encourage the phenolic synthesis of the grapes. Rainy days at the beginning of August revived the ripening process of the grapes. The great location of the vineyard and the work of the vineyard teams minimized the health risks associated with high humidity and heat. The Indian summer leading up to the harvest allowed for the optimal ripeness of the grapes. Taking into account the precocity of the vintage and the high temperatures of September, the decision was made to harvest early, in order to preserve the tension and density of the grapes.

The blend

The Cos d´Estournel 2020 was made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%) and Merlot (38%).

The tasting

Harmony, richness and freshness are the key words to describe the Chateau Cos d´Estournel 2020. This is a powerful wine, seducing with its intense aromas of black fruits, nutmeg, black tea and spices, as well as with its liveliness and minerality. The ideal expression of its terroir, the Cos’Estournel 2020 also reveals a unique opulence and softness, balanced with unparalleled energy.