Louis Gaspard d’Estournel inherited Cos and Pomys in 1791. Deeply convinced that the terroir of the hill of Cos was exceptional, he took many risks to enhance his estate, investing massively in the acquisition of neighboring land. Today the vineyard occupies 100 hectares. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for two-thirds of this land, with a lesser proportion of the land dedicated to Merlot and a small proportion to Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Cos d’Estournel is ideally situated at the heart of an undulating landscape in the northern Médoc. The estate’s rolling contours served as inspiration for its name; ”cos” is derived from the word for “hill of pebbles” in the old Gascon dialect. A plateau of deep gravel comprises the core of the site. Gravelly and clayey, the two hills that slope downward from this point benefit respectively from eastern and south-southwestern exposures. These geologic features are completed by a clay vein running diagonally through the vineyard.

Nestled among the vine plants of the estate—45 years old on average—are certain very precious specimens, guardians of the vineyard’s heritage. Some of the oldest vine plants date back to the early 20th century. Their grapes bring depth and structure to the wines of Cos d’Estournel, a testament to the incomparable complexity of the vineyard’s soil. The grapes from these mature plants are blended with the fruit of their younger counterparts to produce the Grand Vin of Cos d’Estournel. The average age of vine plants whose grapes are used in the estate’s first wine is 55 years old.