2003 Cos d'Estournel, 6-bottle Lot

Chateau Cos d’Estournel is a Second Growth Bordeaux according to the Bordeaux classification of 1855. Located in St.-Estephe, the chateau includes 160 acres of vineyards planted to 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The average age of the vines is 35 years. Founded in the 18th century by Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, the chateau’s wines were so admired in the 19th century that they were in demand all over the world. The chateau was bought and sold many times during the late 19th and 20th centuries, and in 2000 it was acquired by Michel Reybier, under whose direction the chateau has continued its climb to excellence. Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted that Cos d’Estournel “has been particularly successful in difficult vintages” and “remains impeccably managed.” Some 200,000 bottles of the signature Cos d’Estournel are produced each year.

Saint-Estèphe is in the northern Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde River. Although it has no First Growth estates, its five Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Growth châteaux are notable, and, in recent decades, have become favorites with reviewers and consumers. Some reviewers also note that the appellation is today making excellent Cru Bourgeois wines, which frequently offer good value. There are 3,404 acres of vineyards and a variety of soil types, from gravelly soil to soil with significant sand or clay. The two Second Growth Châteaux in St.-Estephe are Cos d’Estournel and Montrose. The Third Growth Calon-Ségur is widely admired. The principal grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.