An Inestimable Ecosystem

“Exceptionally diverse soils, exposures and ages of vines, a natural legacy,” is how Technical Director Dominique Arangoïts describes the terroir of Cos d’Estournel.

Remarkable and unique, its geographic location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde Estuary has blessed it with great diversity: it is truly an outstanding ecosystem, a colony of living creatures that coexist and interact with one another.

This diversity produces grapes and wines that are often quite different from one plot of the vineyard to another; this is the secret behind the incredible depth and complexity of the estate’s wines.

It is an ecosystem that the estate’s teams are dedicated to protecting and preserving for future generations. At the start, Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel had already perceived the extraordinary potential of his estate and its vines. Driven by his intuition, he began acquiring the best plots on the hill, stopping at nothing to expand his vineyard and making his estate exemplary in the diversity of its landscape. Today, the hundred hectares of Cos d’Estournel are a mosaic of plots that are wholly integrated with their rich, complex environment.

The men and women of the estate pursue winegrowing techniques in harmony with the vineyard’s natural surroundings, including its hedges, ponds and bodies of water, forests and pastures. Indeed, as the estate’s founder used to say, “Nothing must be neglected.” In the vineyard, each member of the team is responsible for tending to the same vine plants year after year; it is an approach that fosters an intimate understanding, not only of the vines in question, but also of each plot and its surroundings.