My colleague Adam Bilbey and I recently visited the legendary Château Cos d’Estournel in Saint-Estèphe, France, to learn about a unique, limited-edition wine called COS100. The team at Cos d’Estournel, led by owner Michel Reybier, his son Raphaël and technical director Dominique Arangoïts, decided to create COS100 in honour of the 100th anniversary of an area of vines called “Parcelle des Femmes,” planted by a group of courageous women during World War I. This area of vines is in the centre of the Cos d’Estournel vineyards and planted with 100 percent Merlot. Every year the grapes from this parcel form the very heart of each vintage of Cos d’Estournel, defining its essence and character.
Cos d'Estournel has made COS100 in two large format bottle sizes. There are just ten Balthazars (12 litres) and 100 Double Magnums (3 litres) available, which will be sold exclusively through private sales and during two live charity auctions in New York on 28 February and in Hong Kong on 10 March. The proceeds from both live auctions will benefit Elephant Family, a non-profit organisation that aims to save Asian elephants from extinction through field projects, conservation efforts and habitat rehabilitation.
Sotheby’s Wine is delighted to support the live auctions where one Balthazar and one Double Magnum will be sold in each location. Following the auctions, Sotheby’s Wine retail business in both New York and Hong Kong will have a limited number of Double Magnums available for sale. Each Balthazar and Double Magnum is individually numbered and was bottled by hand at the château. Each bottle has a delicately engraved inscription, rather than a label, and is presented in bespoke wood and leather box, making COS100 a true collector’s piece that can be handed down for generations.
When Adam and I visited Château Cos d'Estournel this past December, we were given the exceptional honour of opening the very first Double Magnum of COS100, shown in the video above. We then tasted the following 2015 wines: Pagodes de Cos, Cos d’Estournel and COS100. Comparing the three was fascinating with the Pagodes being soft, supple and already quite open and approachable, with lots of finesse. The Cos d’Estournel has the trademark salinity and minerality, combined with blackcurrant fruit, cedar and tobacco. It is finely grained with a silky texture, while the COS100 has an opulent, rich texture with a combination of power and intensity, finishing with great freshness. All three wines are unique and show the class of both Cos d’Estournel and the 2015 vintage.
Tasting Note on COS100:
Violets, blueberries, blackcurrants on the nose. Immediately you get a sense of richness, with a thick texture, combined with minerality. Shows opulence and intensity with vibrancy and freshness. Fleshy fruit, multi-layered with great energy and depth of character. Very harmonious and well balanced with superb length and a sublime fresh, red fruit, saline mineral finish that has real lift. Exceptional and unique wine, showing class, power, depth and concentration.
Contact Sotheby’s Wine for information about how to participate in the live auctions – you don’t have to be there in person to bid – and click here to learn more about COS100.
Contact:
United States: Jamie Ritchie
jamie.ritchie@sothebys.com
+1 212 606 7050
Asia: Adam Bilbey
adam.bilbey@sothebys.com
+852 2822 9024
