Chateau Cos d'Estournel Collection

An Exotic Palace at the Gateway to Saint-Estèphe

Commanding the southern ridge of Saint-Estèphe directly adjacent to Pauillac’s Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Cos d'Estournel is one of Bordeaux’s most distinctive and celebrated Deuxième Grand Cru Classé estates. Founded in 1811 by Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel—known affectionately as the "Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe"—the estate gained international fame for shipping wines to India and returning with exotic oriental furnishings. D’Estournel honored this heritage by designing the iconic chateau complete with Chinese pagodas, carved wooden doors, and Asian-inspired architecture.

Since 2000, under the vision of owner Michel Reybier, Cos d'Estournel has set the standard for modern winemaking excellence. Featuring a state-of-the-art, 100% gravity-fed cellar designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the estate crafts wines that seamlessly bridge historic Saint-Estèphe structure with opulent, exotic finesse.

Deep Gravel Terraces & Gravity-Fed Precision

Spanning 91 hectares, the vineyards sit atop the hill of "Cos" (derived from the Gascon word for "hill of pebbles"), benefitting from deep gravel mounds over a clay-limestone substrate:

• The Red Grape Varieties: Dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (~66%) and Merlot (~30%), with small plantings of Cabernet Franc (~1%) and Petit Verdot (~3%). The high proportion of Merlot for a northern Médoc estate gives Cos d'Estournel its signatures of plush richness, exotic spice, and supple mid-palate texture.

• The White Grape Varieties: Planted in cool coastal microclimates in the far north of the Médoc, featuring Sauvignon Blanc (~80%) and Sémillon (~20%).

• Gravity-Fed Cellar Precision: The estate features four temperature-controlled, 100% gravity-fed elevator tanks, avoiding mechanically pumping wine or grapes. This ultra-gentle handling preserves structural purity, silkiness, and complex aromatics.

The World-Class Wine Portfolio

• Château Cos d'Estournel (Grand Vin - 2ème Grand Cru Classé): A masterpiece of power, exotic spice, and velvety elegance. It features deep aromas of cassis, black cherry, liquorice, incense, cardamom, cedar, and graphite. On the palate, broad tannins and rich dark fruit are balanced by energetic limestone acidity, offering cellaring potential of 25 to 50+ years.

• Les Pagodes de Cos (Second Wine): Sourced from younger vines across the estate's prime gravel slopes. Sharing the same signature spice, dark berry profile, and gravity-fed refinement as the Grand Vin, it offers exceptional harmony and accessibility for earlier drinking over a 10 to 20-year window.

• Cos d'Estournel Blanc: A rare, highly sought-after dry white wine crafted from cool-climate vineyards. It offers explosive aromatics of crisp green apple, white peach, lemongrass, candied ginger, and crushed flint minerality with a creamy, textured finish.

• G d'Estournel: Formerly known as Goulée by Cos d'Estournel, this energetic, fruity red showcases vibrant cassis and cocoa undertones, crafted for approachable everyday enjoyment.

Epicurean Food Pairings

• Château Cos d'Estournel Red (Grand Vin & Les Pagodes): Roasted rack of lamb with spice rub, Peking duck, braised beef short ribs with star anise and soy, pan-roasted venison, or wild mushroom risotto topped with black truffles.

• Cos d'Estournel Blanc: Seared sea scallops with ginger-butter sauce, grilled turbot, Chilean sea bass, roasted lobster, or aged goat cheese and Comté.