Cos d'Estournel 2010–2018: A Vintage-by-Vintage Guide
By Fabrice Mopin
Nine consecutive vintages of one of Saint-Estèphe's great estates, and what each one says about its year.
The best way to understand a great estate is to taste the same wine across many years. The vineyard stays the same; the weather changes; the winemaker answers. Cos d'Estournel, the great Second Growth of Saint-Estèphe, is ideal for this kind of reading, and we hold an unbroken run from 2010 to 2018.
For anyone planning a cellar, this guide is a map.
An estate with a view of the world
Cos d'Estournel was built by Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel in the early nineteenth century. He shipped his wine as far as India, and his travels shaped the estate: the winery is crowned by pagoda towers and entered through a carved wooden door brought from Zanzibar. It is one of the most recognisable buildings in Bordeaux.
The vineyard sits on a gravel ridge at the southern edge of Saint-Estèphe, looking across a small stream to Château Lafite in Pauillac. Ranked Second Growth in 1855, Cos has been owned by Michel Reybier since 2000, who rebuilt the cellars with gravity flow and precision in mind.
The Cos style is exotic for the Médoc: spice, cassis, a seam of graphite and a richness that recalls its eastern inspiration, always framed by Saint-Estèphe's firm structure.
The nine vintages
| Vintage | Price | Character | When to open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | €200 | Monumental, dense, powerful | From 2030; or decant 3 hours |
| 2011 | €110 | Classic, medium-bodied, savoury | Now to 2032 |
| 2012 | €120 | Supple, generous fruit | Now to 2030 |
| 2013 | €105 | Light, delicate, early-drinking | Now |
| 2014 | €110 | Fresh, precise, classical | Now to 2035 |
| 2015 | €140 | Warm, ripe, opulent | From now, best 2028–2040 |
| 2016 | €170 | Great vintage, structure and depth | From 2030 |
| 2017 | €100 | Elegant, perfumed, approachable | Now to 2032 |
| 2018 | €160 | Rich, concentrated, sun-kissed | From 2030 |
What the run tells us
Read in order, the decade has a rhythm. The great, structured years (2010, 2016) need patience and reward it. The generous years (2015, 2018) give pleasure early and keep for decades. The classical years (2011, 2014, 2017) are the collector's secret: lower in price, true to the estate, and ready sooner.
If you are opening one bottle now, choose 2014 (€110) or 2017 (€100). Both are fresh, honest Cos, already speaking.
If you are laying down one bottle for a child born this year, choose 2016 (€170).
A vertical is a conversation between one vineyard and nine summers.
Building a vertical
We suggest six vintages to see the full range: 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Together, €810. Open one each year, in the order of their readiness, and keep notes. By the time you reach the 2016, you will know Cos better than most people who have drunk it.
For a celebration, we also hold two jeroboams of COS100 from the 2015 vintage, a rare large-format edition from the estate.
Serving
Stand bottles upright a day before. Decant younger vintages for two hours, older ones briefly. Serve at 17–18°C with roast lamb, beef or a lightly spiced dish, a nod to the estate's eastern spirit.
From our cellar
Every bottle rests in our bonded cellar in Luxembourg. You can collect from anywhere in the world, and with your Digital Cellar you can always check your wines, vintage by vintage, as your vertical takes shape.
There is no better way to know an estate.
FAQ
Is 2016 a good vintage for Cos d'Estournel?
2016 is one of the great modern vintages for Cos; it needs time and will keep for decades.
Which Cos d'Estournel is ready to drink?
2013, 2017, 2014 and 2011 are open now.
What is a vertical tasting?
Several vintages of the same wine, tasted to see how the year shapes it.