Chateau Cos d'Estournel Pagodes de Cos 2017

Professional Ratings

• 94 James Suckling

  This shows wonderful depth and richness, yet it’s so fresh and vivid with dark berries, dark plums and spice. Full-bodied, balanced and creamy with beautiful flavors and structure. So many spices in this. Only 12% alcohol. Second wine of Château Cos-d’Estournel. Better after 2022.

• 93 Wine Enthusiast

  This wine has velvet tannins and lusciously ripe black fruits. Despite the tannins, the it is more about fruit and ripeness than about structure. Drink 2022.

• 92 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, this second wine accounts for about 55% of production. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Les Pagodes de Cos sashays out of the glass with youthful, presumptuous notes of Black Forest cake, raspberry preserves, cassis and spice cake with nuances of lavender, chocolate box, anise and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate has wonderful elegance and precision, with a very finely grained frame and seamless freshness supporting the soft-spoken red and black fruits, finishing with a quiet intensity.

  
  

• 90 Jeb Dunnuck

  Deeper ruby-colored and based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pagodes De Cos is similarly hued to the grand vin and offers classy notes of creme de cassis, red currants, toasted spice, dried tobacco, and graphite. It's rich, medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, yet relatively closed on the palate. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the coming decade. Rating: 90+

• 90 Decanter
  This is enjoyable right off the bat, with its firm dark chocolate, liquorice and cassis character, joined by licks of gourmet patisserie swirling through - exactly what you expect from Pagodes de Cos, without losing its sense of restraint. I like the subdued power, and it seems more in the style of 2014 than 2015 or 2016. It's a touch austere but appealing, with a sumptuous touch that keeps it in the Cos stable. 60% of production went to the second wine this year, almost entirely from separate plots. Just 20% of the plots are interchangeable between grand vin and second wine, depending on the vintage character.
  Barrel Sample