2021 Cos d'Estournel Blanc
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Tasting notes
The white Grand Vin in 2021 is spectacular at Cos d’Estournel. There is fantastic breadth and depth to the palate, the wine reaching to the far corners of the mouth, with electric acidity that brings mouthwatering freshness. White peach fruit, citrus and mineral salinity make for a complex spectrum of flavours and the overall balance leaves the palate fresh. It is the effortless structure of the wine, however, that is so impressive. Just 12.3% alcohol. Blend: 71% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Semillon
Critic scores
Average Score
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The Grand Vin in white, the 2021 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc includes slightly more Semillon and is 71% Sauvignon Blanc and 29% Semillon raised in 8% new barrels. It's a slightly more closed and tight white, revealing beautiful citrus fruit that gives way to more mint, floral, and chalky mineral-like nuances with air. Medium-bodied and balanced, it plays in the fresher style of the vintage but is still concentrated and serious, and it will benefit from a year or three of bottle age. It’s built for the cellar and will benefit from 2-3 years and drink well for at least a decade. This is 12.3% alcohol with a pH of 3.13.
The 2021 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is a big wine—rich, dramatic and expressive. Low yields in 2021 created a white that is deep, layered and quite potent in feel. Tangerine peel, citrus confit, marzipan and a touch of new oak give the 2021 a decidedly flamboyant, extroverted personality.
The 2021 Cos d'Estournel Blanc, bottled in December 2022, shows a bit of reduction in the glass, with touches of candle wax and lanolin infusing the yellow fruit, perhaps requiring a little more delineation. The palate is well-balanced with fine poise. This clearly has more tension and mineralité compared to the Pagodes Blanc, with a crisper finish. This is a successful white Cos d'Estournel that should age well in bottle, but one should afford it time for the aromatics to fully open.
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.