2018 Cos d'Estournel Blanc
Buying options
Tasting notes
The grapes for this white wine come from one of the more northerly sectors of the Médoc vineyard. It's a white wine that I strongly recommend, particularly over the past few years, when it has refound a grip and tension that balances out the opulent flesh that is a signature of the house style of Cos. You're going to find plenty of powerful lime zest, smoked almond and lemon curd, a round mouthfeel through the mid palate with hints of saffron on the mouthwatering finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
The 2018 Blanc is composed of 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Sémillon and was matured in 7% new barriques (13.88% alcohol). It opens very slowly, with a lot of coaxing, to reveal fragrant scents of lime blossoms, yellow apples and fresh grapefruit plus hints of crushed rocks, straw and sea spray. The medium-bodied palate has a beautiful satiny texture and fantastically intense citrus and apple layers with loads of mineral and herbal sparks on the long finish. Give it a good couple of years in bottle to open up, and drink it over the following 10 to 12 years or more.
A blend of two-thirds Sauvignon and one-third Sémillon that was brought up mostly in used barrels, the 2018 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc has a bright gold hue as well as outstanding notes of tart pineapple, white flowers, lemon zest, and white grapefruit. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, bright, racy white with plenty of texture and richness, a notable sense of chalky minerality, and a great finish. This stunning white will keep for 10-15 years.
The 2018 Cos d’Estournel Blanc is showing nicely in bottle, partly because of the increased proportion of Sémillon in the blend. That lends complexity on the nose, which displays gorgeous honeysuckle and yellow plum aromas, if perhaps more oiliness than I found from bottle. The palate has tightened up a little, feeling less rounded than before, with intense orange pith, apricot and tangy marmalade toward the finish. A lovely Cos d’Estournel Blanc that I am intrigued to see age in bottle.
About the producer
Louis Gaspard d’Estournel inherited Cos and Pomys in 1791, founding Cos d’Estournel in 1811, investing significantly in the property and expanding the estate from 14 to 45 hectares. The estate rapidly rose to prominence and the wines were exported around the world.