Château Cos d'Estournel 2022 / 13% / 0.75 L

Château Cos d’Estournel is one of the most recognizable sites in the Médoc, situated on a granite-and-gravel hill in Saint-Estèphe, which in the local Gascon dialect is called “cos”—“hill of stones”.Exotic, Asian-inspired pagodas were erected here, and carved doors—once brought from Zanzibar—were set into the gate, a tribute to the estate’s founder, Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel, known as the “Maharaja of Saint-Estèphe” for his merchant’s imagination and courage in conquering the markets of the East.Today's Cos is an ultra-modern, gravity-fed winery surrounded by old vines, but the spirit of the visionary traveler still hovers over the estate and its wines.

Although it was the red grand vin that brought him fame, the white Cos d’Estournel Blanc is a separate, intriguing story.The grapes grow in the northern Médoc, toward the Gironde estuary, in a cooler region that is well-suited to white grape varieties; production is low (rarely exceeding approx..(1,000 cases per year) gives the wine the character of an artisanal, “homemade” selection.Today, it’s a blend of 74% Sauvignon Blanc and 26% Sémillon, from which the 2022 vintage has drawn out extraordinary purity, density, and a salty minerality thanks to the proximity of the estuary and the maturity of the old roots.

The 2022 vintage emerged from a hot, dry summer preceded by turbulent spring weather; the winery team guided the grapes to full ripeness while preserving their acidity..In its youth, the wine entices with floral and citrus notes, and as it ages, it is expected to develop toasty notes—this is a style developed in the barrel, but with a focus on preserving the fruit’s clarity.

As for the blend and aging of the 2022 vintage: the blend consists of 74% Sauvignon Blanc and 26% Sémillon.The wine fermented and aged in barrels (mostly used), which emphasizes its oiliness and structure; For this vintage, the producer and leading critics do not provide a uniform aging period, but in practice, white Cos wines typically spend about 8–9 months in oak.

Appearance: pale straw-yellow with a luminous green sheen; very clear; dense “tears” that signal the fruit’s ripeness.

Aroma: white flowers and citrus on the initial nose (citrus blossoms, mandarin, lemon zest), followed by cool orchard fruits—pear, apple—intertwined with delicate boxwood/sb, dried grass, and crushed stone; when warmed, a subtle note of vanilla and almond cream.

Flavor: Tension and creaminess go hand in hand here; juicy mandarin, lemon curd, and a salty minerality carry the wine across the palate, while the Sémillon contributes a silky, “oily” texture; a long, firm finish with a refreshing, chalky bitterness.

Food pairings: perfect with scallops in butter and lemon, sea bream tartare with lime, and halibut in a butter sauce with capers; it also pairs beautifully with white asparagus in a beurre blanc emulsion, risotto with lemon and green peas, and mildly aged goat cheese.