PAGODES DE COS Rouge 2nd wine of Ch. Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estephe 2018 Bottle

Description

Les Pagodes de Cos 2018 is the second wine of the legendary Saint-Estèphe estate, Château Cos d’Estournel. Situated on a south-facing gravel ridge with a significant clay content, the vineyards benefit from a unique terroir that produces wines of immense power and refinement. The 2018 vintage was characterized by a warm, dry summer, which allowed the fruit to reach exceptional levels of ripeness and concentration, particularly in the northern Médoc.

A blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot, this wine displays a deep, intense colour. The nose is highly aromatic, offering layers of crème de cassis, black cherries, and violets, underpinned by notes of graphite and sweet spices. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and textural, featuring the opulent, fleshy character typical of the 2018 vintage. The tannins are ripe and well-integrated, providing a solid structure that is balanced by a surprising sense of freshness and energy. With its long, savoury finish of liquorice and toasted cedar, this expression captures the sophisticated identity of its parent estate. It is a wine that offers both immediate pleasure and the capacity for mid-to-long-term ageing, making it a superb representation of a benchmark Bordeaux year.

JAMES SUCKLING 95 points/100
Pure aromas of currants, plums, cherries and Spanish cedar follow through to a full body with super concentration of fruit, yet forever polished and long. A cylinder of wonderfully ripe fruit and tannins goes on for minutes. This needs at least three or four years to soften and begin to come together. Super second wine. Try after 2027.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 94 points/100
This latest release has richness and luscious black fruits that dominate the underlying firmer tannic structure. It is a proper second wine in the sense that it will age well over the medium term, giving drinking pleasure from 2024.