Between Pauillac and St-Estèphe, the hill of Cos rises twenty meters above the Gironde, benefiting from a microclimate that avoids temperature extremes, both hot and cold. Resting on a limestone base, the gravel deposits from the Quaternary period allow for perfect drainage which, coupled with this unique climate, creates the ideal terroir for bringing Cabernet Sauvignon to uniform maturity.

The history of Cos is inseparable from that of Louis Gaspard, Marquis d’Estournel, for this man, born under King Louis XV and who died during the Second Empire, had but one passion in his life: Cos d’Estournel. He quickly recognized the potential of the vines he inherited in 1811, located near the village of Cos. The wine of Cos d’Estournel, which he vinified separately, very quickly achieved great success both in France and abroad. The reach of this success extended as far as India, earning him the nickname "the Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe." Celebrating his distant conquests, he adorned his cellars with exotic pagodas, which would later give their name to the château’s second wine.
In 1853, the Marquis departed this world, though his estate had been sold one year earlier to the London banker Martyns. He therefore did not live to see his château consecrated as a Second Grand Cru Classé during the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1855.
In 1889, the Hostein brothers acquired the estate, which they later sold to Fernand Ginestet, a major figure in the Bordeaux wine trade, in 1917.
Today
The Ginestet descendants sold the estate to Monsieur Michel Reybier in 2000. Since the 2005 vintage, the château has produced a white wine, "Cos d’Estournel blanc," in small quantities. Under the impetus of this new owner, a new cellar and a new vat room, designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, were inaugurated in 2008.
Its latest owner, much like its first, Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, continues this avant-garde work, always in pursuit of excellence…