Louis Gaspard d'Estournel had already sensed the remarkable potential of his vines. Acting on that intuition, he kept expanding the vineyard, acquiring the best hillside plots, rated second growth, among the highest levels of the day's classification.
Today, the 100 hectares of Cos d'Estournel form a mosaic of many individual plots.
Two-thirds are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and small proportions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
Old vines
With an average age of 45 years, the Cos d'Estournel vineyard includes some very old vines, many of them 80 to 100 years old, which give the estate an unrivalled advantage. These old vines add depth and structure to the wine and reflect the soil's complexity, from which they draw their deepest character. The Grand Vin de Cos d'Estournel is made from grapes with an average vine age of 55 years.
