Cos d'Estournel Blanc 2024 en Primeur

Hints of spicy vanilla oak aromas on top of a wealth of green and yellow fruit scents. Some dried flowers and chamomile (maybe lees). Rather complex and inviting. Plush palate-filling fruit with lemon, tangerine and grapefruit. Some phenolic grip - almost a hint of Sémillon tannin - and a long rounded finish. Very good indeed.

In contrast, the 2024 Château Cos D'Estournel Blanc is more Sauvignon Blanc-dominated and is based on 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon, resting all in just 8% new oak. It's cut from the same cloth as the Pagodes and has racy citrus, lime, crushed stone, and minty, grassy nuances as well as medium-bodied richness on the palate. It's balanced and has a layered, elegant mouthfeel and outstanding length.

Lemon balm, creaminess, some waxy fruit, acacia and white peach. Lovely scents and more than just citrus. Round, layered and interesting, this has a tiny touch of pineapple giving sweetness and bitterness with peach and pear and crisp apple too. Lovely weight and focus to this. Layered and determined but with a gentle confidence. Great for the vintage, tangy, clean, pure but so alive! Really just amazing energy here. I love it. Great complexity and nuance. Ageing 8% new barrels. 3.04pH.

A full-bodied white that’s 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon. Very bright acidity with creamy wood influence. Intense kiwis, green stone fruit and guavas. Long, intense, textured and so vibrant, with a lasting, mouthwatering finish.

The 2024 Cos d'Estournel Blanc has more delineation and tension than the Pagodes on the nose. It's more citrus-driven with touches of yuzu and lime. The palate is fresh and bright on the entry, with a keen line of acidity and an intense lemon peel- and orange zest-tinged finish. This is a very fine Cos d'Estournel Blanc that will be difficult to resist in its youth. Neil Martin.

Pale yellow-green, silver reflections. Delicate white tropical fruit, a hint of mango and guava, floral nuances, mineral, undertones of lime zest. Medium-bodied, light- footed, fine white fruit, fresh acidity, preserved lemon on the finish, a delicate food wine with ageing potential.

Energie et finesse, c’est l’un des blancs secs dont nous préférons le style dans le bouillonnement actuel du retour de cette couleur en Médoc.