Pagodes de Cos 2015

Pepper, bay leaf and olive notes lead off, with a core of bright red currant and damson plum fruit playing catch-up. The bright, wet-pebble–edged finish is a touch taut in the end. Drink now through 2027. 19,167 cases made.

Very good crushed berry fruit and a much more elegant style than before. A polished wine with depth and spice, silky texture and exotic spices; very well made.

Really juicy and delicious on the nose. Enticing. Plum, berry and spice undertones. Some chocolate. Full and very long. Gorgeous focus and finesse. Better in 2021.

Deceptively easy to drink, the wine is medium-bodied, silky, refined and fresh, with soft, polished tannins and a finish replete with dusty cocoa and perfectly ripe, sweet cherries. No decanting needed here. Just pop, pour and enjoy it. As a side note, the wine has improved in score each time I have tasted it since it was in barrel.

Dark ruby, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. Somewhat restrained, fine nuances of cherry, a touch of herbs, a mineral touch. Elegant, taut, dark berry fruit, firm tannins, crisp style, mineral with good persistence, fine cherry fruit on the finish, versatile, subtle spice on the finish, it has certain ageing potential.

The second wine of the estate is the 2015 Pagodes de Cos, and it too is an open-knit, medium-bodied, charming red that offers impressive notes of ripe cherry and currant fruits, underbrush, and dried flowers. A blend of close to 50% Merlot and the balance mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, it has fine tannins, solid balance, and the depth to evolve gracefully for 10–12 years.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core with a violet rim. Fairly open bouquet with a touch of cedar, exotic woods, and a hint of Dominican tobacco, backed by a cranberry relish that lends a subtle underlying sweetness. On the palate, incredibly smooth and already very drinkable. A gastronomic Pagodes to enjoy young.

Deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with lilac highlights at the rim. Quite open bouquet, a touch of cedar and exotic woods, a hint of Dominican tobacco, cranberry relish with a certain underlying sweetness. On the palate incredibly silky and already very drinkable. A gastronomic Pagodes to enjoy young.

The 2015 Pagodes de Cos is medium to deep garnet colored. The nose is very subtle, with faint redcurrant jelly and dried cherries scents plus wafts of tobacco and dried herbs. The light to medium-bodied palate has pleasant black fruits and savory flavors yet is a little thin and chewy, with an abrupt finish.

The color is garnet and the nose shows notes of licorice. A lovely, generous wine—full-bodied, with plenty of charm and roundness. It was produced with 61% second wine. 46.2% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot.

Beautiful dark, intense color. Fruity nose, a little discreet. Charming, seductive palate, very fruity, with a caressing texture, flavorful, soft flesh, good length, with a return of hazelnut on the finish.

This wine is dense, complex and with great tannins. It is powerful and rich, packed with black fruits. Good acidity gives the wine its freshness, its black-currant fruit and its potential longevity. Rich and with great aging potential, this is becoming a major wine in its own right rather than just a second wine of Cos d'Estournel. Drink from 2025.

The 2015 Les Pagodes de Cos is a very serious second wine, especially in this vintage, where so many Saint Estèphes are on the lighter side. Plush, deep and enveloping, within the mid-weight style of the year, the 2015 Pagodes possesses lovely depth, texture and resonance. Black cherry, plum, licorice, tobacco and menthol wrap around the racy finish. All the elements are in the right place. This is very nicely done. The blend is 46% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.