Les Pagodes de Cos 2009 - Second vin du Château Cos d'Estournel

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Blueberry nose very typical of the vintage, high alcohol content, very roasted flavor but more balanced than the grand vin, better integrated tannin. A great, original product whose development we shall follow with great curiosity.

About the domain :

The vat room, as spectacular in its kind as the pagodas of the château, equipped with vat elevators allowing gravity-fed operation not only during vinification but also during ageing, was used for the first time in 2008. It is the crowning achievement of the estate's considerable efforts to bring this cru to the highest possible level, with the ambition of rivaling the premier crus classés in quality. The deep gravelly soil generally makes it the fullest-bodied of the Médoc wines, the most voluptuous in texture, yet retaining a finesse and complexity characteristic of its neighborhood with Lafite. Recent vintages have further enhanced its aromatic purity and sincerity of expression. A highly aromatic and intense white Bordeaux is produced on the soils of La Goulée, a little further north, and bears its name.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Second of Cos d'Estournel, this wine has magnificent aromatic precision: blackcurrant, cinnamon, wild berries, cedar. It heralds a mouth of great purity, with melted, satiny tannins. The finish stretches out with subtle warmth.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The brilliant Les Pagodes de Cos 2009 includes more Cabernet Sauvignon in its blend than the grand vin, adding Merlot and a small amount of Petit Verdot. As powerful as the Cos in terms of alcohol content (14.5%), full-bodied, round and generous, Les Pagodes de Cos presents abundant aromas of crème de cassis and floral notes mingled with woody and spicy scents. Juicy, succulent and remarkably fresh and well-defined, it deserves special attention from consumers. It should be drunk over 15 to 20 years, and curiously, this second wine is superior to many Cos vintages from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s!

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the domain :

Businessman Michel Reybier, who acquired the estate in 2000, has devoted considerable resources to ensuring that Cos d'Estournel has everything it needs to make the finest possible wine. The construction of one of the world's most efficient wineries, by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, is a case in point. Cos has always produced expressive wines with a rather exuberant style. In the early 2000s, it even sometimes tipped over into caricature, overshadowing the finesse that the terroir is capable of expressing. Things are turning around, however, and with recent vintages Cos has rediscovered an expression that once again appeals to us.

Wine Spectator