2013 Cos dEstournel Blanc St-Estephe
Golden yellow color. Aromatic nose of ripe yellow fruit, quince, ripe lemon and white pepper hints. Round in the mouth, with a juicy yellow fruit attack, backed up by a nice, long and crisp finish.
The vineyard of Château Cos d’Estournel now covers 91 hectares. On this terroir with meager peaks and on the southern slopes, Cabernet Sauvignon (60% of the vineyard) find their soils of choice. On the eastern slopes and on the coasts where the limestone basement of Saint-Estèphe is exposed, the Merlots (40% of the vineyard). Only wines from vineyards over twenty years old will bear the name of Château Cos d’Estournel. Density from 8 to 10,000 feet per hectare. Each winemaker has the personal responsibility of 45,000 vines, which he takes care of every year. These farming methods are essentially manual. The harvest is of course also manual and it is handmade that the grapes, collected in special crates, will be carefully sorted.
At Château Cos d’Estournel, vinification adapts to the character of the harvest, to favor the expression of the terroir and this thanks to a new cellar. Precise grape sorting and pure gravity pumping using 4 lift vats as well as precise control of fermentation temperatures favor the selection of the softest tannins and the preservation of the fruit. A blend of Semillon and Sauvignon, this wine expresses all the potential of the Saint-Estèphe terroir in a white wine.
Critical Acclaim
95 James Suckling
A dense and waxy white with lemon rind, lemon curd and stone. Full and oily. It goes on for minutes with so much fruit and richness. Licorice, aniseed and dried citrus. Salty. Chewy after. Drink or hold. Best ever! 76% sauvignon blanc with 24% semillion.
91 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
The 2013 Cos d'Estournel Blanc has quite a pungent bouquet, the Semillon more expressive at the moment, with lime, fresh grapefruit, honeysuckle and just a hint of paw paw. The palate is well balanced with racy acidity, here the Sauvignon Blanc comes back with gooseberry and nettle notes, although I feel this needs more time to absorb the oak on the finish that feels a little disjointed at the moment.
