On a cloud-covered morning, I arrived at Château Cos d'Estournel, eager to explore one of Bordeaux's most storied estates. Even under a moody sky, the chateau’s stunning, exotic façade commanded attention, standing proud with its distinctive turrets and intricately detailed architecture that whispered tales of its 19th-century origins. As I approached, the sight of this grand structure ‒ part chateau, part Indian-inspired palace ‒ set the tone for a visit that promised to be as rich and complex as the wines produced within its storied cellars.
Château Cos d'Estournel owes its origins and name to the Marquis d'Estournel ‒ Louis Gaspard Lacoste de Maniban, a visionary Bordeaux winegrower with a passion for exploration and fine wine. In 1791, he inherited the land of Cos and Pomys. Deeply convinced of the exceptional terroir on the hill of Cos (from the Gascon dialect meaning "hill of pebbles") just north of Saint-Estèphe, he invested heavily to enhance his estate. Driven by his belief in the land’s potential, he took bold risks, purchasing neighbouring plots to expand the vineyard from 14 to 45 hectares. Known for his innovative spirit, Louis Gaspard introduced technical improvements, including experimenting with new grape varieties and replacing traditional closures with glass stoppers to preserve the quality of his wines. His dedication yielded wines of exceptional quality that quickly earned a reputation beyond France’s borders.
Louis Gaspard had a unique history with ageing wines, one influenced by the long journeys his bottles made to distant markets. Beginning around 1838, he shipped his wines by boat to India, where British officers stationed in India would begin savouring his wine. Upon their return journey, he observed a surprising transformation. The long voyage across the seas had accelerated the ageing process, enhancing the complexity and depth of the wines ‒ a phenomenon he dubbed “R” for Retour des Indes or “Returned from India.” This accidental discovery was a testament to his passion for India and the wine trade, and subsequent research has revealed the science behind it: the rocking of the waves, temperature changes, and oxidation caused by saltwater subtly improved the wines, lending them a unique character.
Inspired by his travels to India, Louis Gaspard adorned his estate with oriental motifs and exotic architectural flourishes, making the chateau itself as distinctive and memorable as the wines it produced. Secluded at the end of a winding road in the northern Médoc, the chateau is instantly recognisable by its three majestic pagodas, a nod to founder Louis Gaspard d’Estournel's close trade connections with India. These pagodas, along with the grand 17th-century wooden door sourced from Zanzibar, give the façade an exotic and mysterious allure.
His passion for India and his exotic touches to the estate eventually earned him the nickname “Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe.” He lived to see his wines highly regarded, with Château Cos d'Estournel recognised as a Deuxième Grand Cru du Médoc by Bordeaux’s negociants. Sadly, however, he passed away just two years before the 1855 Bordeaux Classification formally established Château Cos d'Estournel as a Second Growth Estate. Today, Château Cos d'Estournel stands as a testament to his legacy ‒ a blend of Bordeaux tradition and the founder’s fascination with the mysteries of the East.
The estate spans a remarkable 100 hectares, divided into 91 distinct parcels, each contributing unique characteristics to the final wines of Château Cos d’Estournel. Two-thirds of the vineyard is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, while the remaining third features Merlot, with smaller plots dedicated to Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, adding further depth and complexity. Grapes enter the vat room from a top window, where they are received and carefully channeled into the winemaking process using gravity, ensuring a gentle, natural flow through each stage. This gravity-fed approach preserves the integrity of the grapes, allowing the estate to achieve a refined expression of its terroir.
Before stepping into the visitor reception area at Château Cos d’Estournel, I was captivated by a lush garden featuring two rows of elephant-shaped topiaries ‒ a tribute to the Eastern influences that founder Louis Gaspard d’Estournel held dear. This unique bestiary feels alive with the symbolic energy of the estate's beloved elephants, emblems of good fortune, wisdom, and strength. Elephants are omnipresent at Château Cos d’Estournel, woven into the fabric of the estate’s identity: they appear in the gardens, the cellars, and throughout the residence, crafted from stone, wood, and boxwood, their forms even gracing the estate's logo. With trunks raised in an auspicious gesture, they guard the chateau like silent sentinels, representing the stability, balance, and strength that have defined Château Cos d’Estournel for centuries. The towering pagodas and the ever-present elephants evoke a sense of solidity and timelessness.
Stepping into the visitor reception area of Château Cos d'Estournel feels like entering a space rich with history and layered with cultural influences. This area, once the grape reception and vat room, has transformed over time but preserves echoes of its past. A stunning 19th-century painting offers visitors a glimpse into how the space looked in its original days of operation, when it bustled with harvest activity. The Indian influence on the interior design is unmistakable, especially in the striking wooden beams overhead, each one sourced directly from India. From the intricate patterns to the warm, earthy tones, the room reflects the founder’s fascination with India, seamlessly blending the historical ambiance of winemaking with the exotic elegance of Eastern design.
In the reception area, an eye-catching Balthazar bottle of COS100 commands attention. A Balthazar bottle can hold up to 12 litres equivalent to 16 bottles. This exquisite wine is a pure reflection of the philosophy behind the legendary estate, showcasing one of its most magnificent vineyard plots. Composed exclusively of 100-years-old Merlot harvested in 2015 from the iconic “Parcelle des Femmes,” COS100 is exceedingly precious and rare. It symbolises the estate’s avant-garde vision and ongoing quest for perfection, offering a profound expression of the vineyard's inimitable identity. Limited in quantity, COS100 will be available only in numbered large formats, with the two barrels of ancient Merlot grapes yielding just 10 Balthazars (12 and 100 Double Magnums (3 litres). The rarity of this unprecedented 2015 vintage, combined with the exceptional nature of the large-format bottles, makes COS100 a true collector’s item, destined to be savoured by a privileged few. Each bottle, the epitome of understated luxury, will be cradled in a bespoke wood and leather box. With extraordinary ageing potential and delicately engraved inscriptions on the glass replacing traditional paper labels, these bottles may be cellared for decades to come.
I was also shown a bottle bearing one of Château Cos d’Estournel’s original labels, a reminder of the estate’s unconventional origins. Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, fiercely independent and unafraid to challenge norms, refused to rely on Bordeaux’s traditional negociant network to sell his wines. Instead, he personally handled shipments to far-off markets, signing each bottle with "shipped by me" as a declaration of independence from the established system. His bold approach drew attention ‒ so much so that in 1838, the newspaper Le Producteur reported, “The arrival of a large shipment of wine sent directly to India by the wealthy owner of a vineyard has caused a stir.” This pioneering spirit, embodied in each bottle, set Cos d’Estournel apart from the very beginning.
Next, I stepped into the vat room, where innovation meets tradition in a space that reflects Château Cos d’Estournel’s commitment to precision winemaking. Here, 91 stainless steel tanks stand, each dedicated to a specific parcel of the vineyard, allowing for a nuanced expression of each unique terroir. Only stainless steel vats are used for fermentation, ensuring purity and control, while the winemaking process relies solely on gravity, with no pumps employed. Grapes received at an upper level are carefully guided through different levels in the vat room, allowing them to fall naturally for each stage. This gravity-fed system extends even to the delicate process of alcoholic fermentation, which is conducted without any pumping over. Instead, the estate uses four custom-designed elevators, inspired by a Parisian theatre company, to gently transport the wines up and down, allowing for a soft, elegant extraction and smoother tannins. As the first fully integral wine cellar in Bordeaux since 2008, Château Cos d’Estournel showcases a pioneering approach. Wines here are blended before ageing, ensuring the utmost respect for the character of each parcel.
Then, I visited the barrel cellar, where the art of ageing unfolds in an atmosphere rich with the aroma of French oak. Only the finest French oak barrels are used for both the estate’s grand vin, Cos d’Estournel, and its distinguished second label, Pagodes de Cos. The grand vin rests here for 16 to 18 months, allowing it to develop its signature complexity, while Pagodes de Cos undergoes a slightly shorter ageing period of 12 months, bringing out a refined yet approachable character. To achieve the ideal balance of flavours and textures, the estate collaborates with 12 expert coopers, each contributing their craftsmanship to ensure the barrels complement and elevate the wines’ distinct qualities.
Later, I stepped into the old vintage cellar, a mesmerising space where history and artistry blend seamlessly. The oldest bottle here dates back to 1865, a testament to the legacy of Château Cos d’Estournel. The architecture itself is stunning, with Indian-inspired design elements that honour the founder’s fascination with the East. Stone statues of elephants, their trunks raised in a gesture of good fortune, stand proudly on the cellar floor. These statues serve as both decorative and functional elements, acting as pillars that support racks of vintage bottles above. The unique ambiance of this cellar is an homage to tradition, craftsmanship, and the founder’s enduring vision.
My visit concluded with a tasting session featuring three exquisite wines: G d’Estournel 2020 vintage, Pagodes de Cos 2016 vintage and Cos d’Estournel 2012 vintage. The G d’Estournel 2020 vintage, comprised of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, comes from the Goulée vineyard, where the resilient 35-year-old vines thrived despite extreme weather, yielding a wine marked by refreshing notes of blackcurrant and blueberry. Next, the 2016 Pagodes de Cos, blending 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46.5% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 0.5% Cabernet Franc, showcases a silky texture and voluptuous character, offering a refined yet complex profile that hints at the grandeur of the estate’s flagship wine. Finally, the 2012 Cos d’Estournel, 75% Cabernet Sauvignon with 22% Merlot and small percentages of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, presents a suave attack and rich mid-palate, culminating in a mineral-driven finish. Over the years, this grand vin has developed smooth tannins and vibrant fruit, epitomising the exceptional terroir of Château Cos d’Estournel.
At the end of my visit, I couldn’t resist purchasing a bottle of the limited-edition grand vin Château Cos d’Estournel 2020 vintage. Not only does this bottle mark the 20th anniversary of the estate’s acquisition by Michel Reybier, celebrated with a striking black and gold design featuring the château’s iconic pagodas, but 2020 is also a significant year for me personally. Bringing home this unique piece of the estate felt like the perfect way to commemorate my visit and the special meaning this vintage holds.
My visit to Château Cos d’Estournel was an unforgettable journey through a world where tradition and innovation coexist harmoniously. From the stunning architecture that pays homage to the estate's rich history and Indian influences to the meticulous winemaking practices that showcase the terroir's unique characteristics, every aspect of the estate reflects the visionary spirit of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The tasting of the exquisite wines further illustrated the exceptional quality and complexity that this renowned estate is celebrated for. Each wine tells a story of passion, craftsmanship, and a commitment to excellence. Château Cos d’Estournel stands not only as a testament to its founder's legacy but also as a beacon for wine lovers seeking to experience the best of Bordeaux.
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