2023 Cos d'Estournel Blanc, Bordeaux

70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Sémillon. Cask sample.

More restrained than Pagodes. Oak still apparent but there’s a zesty quality to the palate. Still seems a little light. Dry, stony finish. A bit formulaic.

Drink 2025 - 2030

A delicately, exotic bouquet of ripe orchard fruits, white fruits, lemongrass and spring flowers preface the 2023 Cos d'Estournel Blanc, a fleshy, ample and satiny wine that’s fresh and elegant with bright acids and a slightly lactic and mouthwatering finish. It’s a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon.

Drink 2024 - 2034

The 2023 Cos d'Estournel Blanc is quite powerful and not especially aromatic today. At this stage, it is mostly the wine's body that makes an impression. The 2023 has good depth, but it is clearly not expressive today. It will be interesting to see what time brings.

Drink 2025 - 2033

The 2023 Cos d'Estournel Blanc, a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon, offers slightly more tropical notes on the nose than Les Pagodes, with a touch more depth–hints of orange blossom and honeysuckle. The palate is well balanced with tangerine and lime, fine acidity, notable focus and a bright and tensile finish. This is another delicious white. It will be difficult to resist in its youth.

Drink 2025 - 2040

The 2023 Cos d'Estournel Blanc jumps from the glass with enthusiastic notes of juicy peaches, green guava, passion fruit, and fresh pineapple followed by hints of lime blossom and shaved ginger. The light-bodied palate has a laser-precise backbone of racy acidity cutting through the intense tropical and citrus fruit layers, finishing long and mineral-laced. The blend is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, with pH 3.14.

Drink 2026 - 2036

The 2023 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc includes slightly more Semillon and checks in as 70% Sauvignon and 30% Semillon, raised in just 7% new French oak, with the rest in once-used barrels. A selection made mostly in the cellar, it has a vivid gold hue as well as a stunning nose of ripe lemon, honeyed flowers, mint, crushed stone, and subtle hints of toast. Gorgeously textured, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, with the bright, almost racy acidity of the vintage, it's pure class.

Some herbal elements on the nose with peach, lime and a hint of mango, white chocolate and vanilla. Lovely weight and body, enough to be mouth filling and give some density and concentration on the palate. Lively, supple, a great richness and a touch of sweetness that gives it roundness while the Sauvignon Blanc adds crisp apple and green stone fruit. Extremely low ph of 3.14 keeps the focus on the freshness and acidity really countering the ripe fruit. A great effort this year.

Drink 2027 - 2040

Green gold, well balanced, slate and pummice stone, rises through the palate from the first sip, lemongrass and lime, showing structure, depth, purity and sculpted citrus and sage. Excellent concentrated flavours, steely and mouthwatering, gets the balance exactly right between steel and flesh. 7% new oak with barrels used only for the Sémillon). Harvest September 5 to 15. 10ha of white for the Estournel wines, 18 years on from its first vintage in 2005.

Drink 2025 - 2038

This shows real precision and sophistication. Tight and dense palate that is concentrated but not heavy, with intensity and minerality. Sea salt and white pepper at the end. This is really at the top level of dry white Bordeaux now. 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% semillon.