2020 Ch Les Pagodes de Cos, St-Estèphe

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with pretty, open-knit scents of stewed black plums, boysenberries and warm cassis, plus savory hints of charcuterie, woodsmoke, black truffles and bouquet garni. Medium-bodied, the palate is packed with crunchy black fruit flavors and dried herbs accents, supported by bags of freshness and well-managed, grainy tannins, finishing with great length and a lively skip in its step.

91-93 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown robertparker.com

“On February 3rd, it was over 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit),” said Dominique Arangoits of Cos d’Estournel. “And also in March. This explained the early bud burst. The precocity is an important point of the vintage. The first part of rain—60 millimeters on May 10th—it was dangerous, for mildew and for the quality of the flowering. We have some vines between 80 and 100 years old; they are very sensitive. Fortunately, the second part of May was dry. Flowering occurred between May 21 and 24. It was like 2005’s flowering conditions—very good! The old vines had a lot of healthy bunches. There were many seeds per berry—this is a good sign. Ripe seeds contribute a different type of tannins, which we like. Afterward, from June 18 to August 12, we had 55 days with almost NO rain! On August 7th, it hit 39 degrees Celsius. We needed water. The vines were starting to suffer.” Like others in the Médoc, Cos d'Estournel finally received a fair amount of water in mid-August, helping to replenish the vines and see them through to harvest. “On 10th September, we began to harvest the Merlot at Cos d’Estournel, said Dominique. “We could have waited, but we wanted to keep the freshness. We had days more than 34 degrees Celsius during harvest—it was hot! We finished the Cabernets on 24th September. We were happy with the ripeness and wanted to finish before the rains that arrived at the end of September. We have a higher pH this year—3.9 as opposed to 3.75. The lower alcohol makes a good balance. So, the wines seem more fresh.”

This is a racy Pagodes with beautiful fruit and tannins that leave a nice, persistent finish. Medium to full body. Savory finish. Tight and clean.