History: The name Cos (with the 'S' pronounced) refers to a "hill of pebbles" in Gascon dialect and the name Cos d'Estournel was given in 1810 by Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel - he rebuilt the cellars in sandstone, reflecting his many travels in the Orient and beyond, which brought him the nickname of the Maharajah of St Estèphe, the cellars sprouted tall pagodas which would be more at home on a Chinese temple than here in the Médoc. The doorway, decorated with vines, grapes, flowers and leaves, was sent over from the Palace of Zanzibar.... The estate has changed hands several times during its history, starting in 1852 when it was purchased by the English banker Charles Cecil Martyns. In 1869, it was sold to the Spanish Errazu family only to be sold again 20 years later in 1889 to the Bordeaux-based Hostein family. Through his marriage to Marie-Thérè
The vineyards: The vineyards of Cos are on the customary Quaternary gravel which peppers the left bank of the Gironde. There are 70 hectares divided up into 30 parcels, with Cabernet Sauvignon holding a slight predominance, accounting for 60% of the red vines, with the remaining 40% being Merlot. There was once a small amount of Cabernet Franc, about 2% of the vineyard, but this no longer seems to play a part in today's Cos d'Estournel. The vines are planted at a density of 8,000 to 10,000 vines/ha, and have an average age of 35 years. Only those of more than 20 years provide fruit for the grand vin, Château Cos d'Estournel, with others most probably destined for the second wine, Les Pagodes de Cos.
And the wine....Tasting Notes: Beautifully elegant with a bouquet of fine, toasty, gamey notes, mingled with ripe fruits, particularly blackcurrants. The palate comes up to the high standard with its silky tannins, black fruits, excellent concentration and succulent length. This '97 Cos d'Estournel is available exclusively from Vin Vino Direct, at only £115.00 per bottle. See http://www.vinvinodirect.com/
