Saint-Estèphe

🇫🇷 France

AOC Rare find

AOC 1936 - Northernmost Médoc commune, clay-rich soils, 35 Crus Bourgeois

Region profile

History

"Cos" means "hill of pebbles" in Gascon dialect. Louis-Gaspard d'Estournel (1811) earned title "Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe" for India wine trade - sold "Returned from India" wines shipped to Bombay and back. Montrose (1815) is youngest 1855 Classified Growth, named for pink heather on hillside. Charmolue family once owned both Cos and Montrose.

Climate: More clay mixed with gravel than southern communes; Günz gravel ridges near Pauillac border; cooler northern location; 1,377 hectares - largest major Médoc appellation by vineyard area
Signature wines: Château Cos d'Estournel - 100ha, exotic Eastern pagoda architecture, Michel Reybier since 2000, borders Lafite across the Jalle du Breuil stream; Château Montrose - 95ha single-block vineyard overlooking Gironde, Terrace 4 terroir from 1815 plantings
What sets it apart: More Crus Bourgeois than all other Médoc appellations combined; clay content creates more tannic, longer-aging wines; youngest 1855 Classified Growth (Montrose) originated here

Facts

Only 5 Crus Classés (2 Second, 1 Third, 1 Fourth, 1 Fifth) but 35 Crus Bourgeois - more than all other Médoc appellations combined
136 producers (80 cooperative members, 56 private estates)