【One of 155 World's Greatest Wine Estate by Robert Parker】
【Second wine of second growth Cos D'Estournel】
【One of the best second wines by different critics】
【Wine Enthusiast 92 pts】
ZTF887F - Les Pagodes de Cos 2012 Saint Estephe
$320/bottle
Region：Saint Estephe, Bordeaux, France
Grapes: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon，40% Merlot
Alcohol : 13.5%
Louis Gaspard d’Estournel inherited Cos and Pomys in 1791. Deeply convinced that the terroir of the hill of Cos was exceptional, he took many risks to enhance his estate, investing massively in the acquisition of neighboring land. He would expand his vineyard from 14 to 45 hectares. Forever passionate about innovation, he introduced numerous technical improvements including the use of glass stoppers and experimented with new grape varieties.
Throughout his lifetime Louis Gaspard d’Estournel remained closely involved in the management of Cos d’Estournel. He fought endlessly to promote his estate, even if it meant having to sell it to finance his debts before acquiring it once again.
Driven and tenacious, he would acquire many plots of wines, some of which were among the choicest of the region, to achieve his lifelong goal of making Cos d’Estournel a first-tier estate and producing one of the world’s most outstanding wines.
Louis Gaspard d’Estournel would live to see his wine designated a Deuxième Grand Cru du Médoc by the negociants of Bordeaux but sadly enough, he passed away two years before the 1855 Bordeaux Classification officially recognized Cos d’Estournel as a Second Growth Estate.
Louis Gaspard d’Estournel was filled with curiosity about and openness to the world around him. His pursuit of new markets led him to Asia, where British officers stationed in India would begin savoring his wine as early as 1838.
This interest in overseas markets fueled a passion for faraway places that would serve as inspiration for the singular architecture of his estate, a sumptuous palace dedicated to wine, topped with monumental pagodas.
Louis Gaspard d’Estournel would remain an enigmatic and original figure amongst his peers. This, coupled with his obsession for the foreign and the exotic, would earn him the nickname of Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe
Owner of Cos d’Estournel since 2000, entrepreneur Michel Reybier is a simple and discreet man. Moved by the extraordinary personality of the estate and the audacity of its founder, his decision to acquire was clear: it would be “Cos and only Cos.”
Today he remains deeply attached to his vineyard. “At first glance, I was attracted by the history of the place. And then when I visited the estate, I felt instantly how unique, how exceptional it is.”
Michel Reybier is an active presence throughout the year and a major actor in the estate’s development. In this he resembles his predecessor Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, with whom he also shares a profound passion for Cos d’Estournel.
Under the direction of Michel Reybier, innovation and tradition find balance at Cos d’Estournel and the anti-conformist spirit of its founder lives on to this day. But being different is not an end in itself: the goal has always been to draw on the exceptional qualities of the vineyard to produce wines of unsurpassed quality.
It has proven a recurring theme, centuries ago under the ownership of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel and now under the direction of Michel Reybier. The two men are united not only in their common business interests and their pursuit of excellence at Cos d’Estournel: they also share the same love of beauty and understated luxury to which the singular charms of the estate may be attributed.
Today Michel Reybier continues to pursue his passion for the vine and explore opportunities beyond Bordeaux: in 2009, he acquired the Hétszolo Estate in Hungary and in 2013, created an exceptional cuvée in the Champagne region. Together his three vineyards make up Domaines Reybier.
【Rating】
Wine Enthusiast 92 pts
Named after the Chinese facade of this most extraordinary of wineries, this wine is ripe and smooth in a style that brings out richness and a round character. It's already totally integrated, solid while also very generous.
