St Estephe

 

The northernmost of the 'big four' communes of the Medoc, boasts 2 second growth chateaux, Ch Montrose, Ch Cos d'Estournel (alias Ch Cos), a third growth: Ch Calon Segur, a fourth growth: Ch Lafon Rochet, and a fifth growth: Ch Cos Labory. St Estephe is also home to several good cru bourgeois estates. Probably the least high regarded among the big four, in the past it produced very rough wines. Terroir wise the area is less blessed than it's southern neighbor: Pauillac. One can find some gravel soil in St Estephe, particularly along the Gironde estuary, but the soil tends to gradually loose this useful feature and introduces more clay inlands. Cabernet Sauvignon - unless a very good vintage - tends to perform poor on clay-limestone soil, it struggles to ripen. This explains the latest trend of gradually re-planting many Cabernet vineyards with Merlot, which is more suited to the cool clay soil. Currently around half of the vineyards are planted in Cabernet, but their number will decrease in the future. Merlot occupies a bit less than 50% of the vineyards giving some space to Cabernet Franc and a tiny amount of Petit Verdot. St Estephe normally produces a heavy, rustic, earthy style of claret which is unique among the other communes, but obviously less elegant. Nonetheless, in hot years, the water retaining clay soils prove to be an edge against the other communes. 2003 was such a year. Has some 1.260 ha under vine.

 

Chateau Cos D'Estournel