Cos d'Estournel Blanc

Unique in character, Cos d’Estournel Blanc evokes the coolness of sea spray and salty sea winds whipping one’s face while also conjuring the warmth and richness of the land. A generous, lively wine, it brings to mind a slice of bread spread thickly with quince jam, a sun-drenched stall of autumn fruit or sudden recollections of the sweetest summer moments.

2019

Wine Advocate 92: From holdings in the north of the Médoc and incorporating an increasing percentage of Sémillon, the 2019 Cos d'Estournel Blanc offers up aromas of pear, confit citrus, lemon grass and pastry cream, followed by a full-bodied, ample and fleshy palate that's rich and enveloping, with lively acids and a long, saline finish. This is a fine effort that could embarrass plenty of Pessac-Léognan whites.

James Suckling 98: Sliced-apple and lime with some aniseed and licorice. Iodine, too. Full-bodied with linear acidity and a fine tannin structure that goes on for minutes. 65% sauvignon blanc and 35% semillon. This is fantastic and so delicious now, but can age for a very long time. Drink or hold.

Decanter 97: One of the best Cos Blancs for years, this is a real return to form, a great white wine that has presence and impact. Fantastic balance of rich, textured stone fruit with a fresh finish. You'll find salinity, slate texture, jasmine flowers and white pepper spice. It was a warmer year overall than 2017, and the white vines needed rain, which they got eventually but relatively late, meaning half the harvest was done on before the rain, and the other half after some freshening rainfall, which perhaps accounts for this unusual but rather beautiful marrying of the two styles. Concentrated, powerful, balanced and complex. Love it.

Wine Enthusiast 92: The wine is dense, powered by generous white fruits that are boosted by citrus acidity. It is rich, full of spice and ripeness. Likely to age further, drink from 2024.

2020

Wine Advocate 92: The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc features a higher proportion of Sémillon (34%) than the Pagodes, and it's richer and more textural, bursting with aromas of lemongrass, nectarine, peach and ginger, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and satiny palate.

James Suckling 97: Dried tropical fruits like mangoes and green papaya, with lemons and green apples. Limes, too. Full-bodied yet tight and compacted with great length and persistence. Muscular yet fresh. 66% sauvignon blanc and 34% semillon. Drinkable but needs five or six years to soften.

Vinous 95: The 2020 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is rich, creamy and sensual. Apricot, peach, white flowers, chamomile and lightly honeyed accents all build in the glass. The 2020 is a rich, textured white for gastronomy. I would love to have it at the dinner table.

Decanter 95: Touch of reduction on the nose, gunsmoke and flint, this is gastronomic and serious, the fint and citrus flavours are hidden at first. A brilliant one-two punch with the first and second wines in the Cos stable this year.

Wine Enthusiast 92: This wine is poised between the citrus and riper tropical flavors, giving it weight and the promise of richness to come. The wine will be ready from 2025.