Sipping Your Way Through December—Day 7

G d’Estournel 2020

This French wine is produced by the team behind Château Cos d'Estournel, a beautiful estate in Bordeaux’s Médoc region.

G d’Estournel, a 90/10 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, is made for earlier drinking than the estate’s more structured, powerful wines. The 2020 vintage is a perfect example: generous yet polished, it opens with aromas of black cherry, plum, and cassis, lifted by hints of cedar, graphite, and warm spice. On the palate, the fruit is supple and lively, framed by fine, friendly tannins. A subtle thread of freshness keeps the wine vibrant, while gentle notes of peppercorn, bay leaf, and a whisper of cocoa linger on the finish. It’s ready to enjoy now, yet has enough structure to evolve gracefully over a few years.

I first visited the château in 2019, and tasting this wine brought back many wonderful memories. The estate itself is breathtaking, with a long, tree-lined entrance flanked by fountains and elephant statues. Step inside and you’re greeted by carved Zanzibar doors, color-laden textiles, and an exotic opulence. The founder’s passion for 19th-century Eastern/Indian art and architecture is everywhere.

The château produces three tiers of wine: the flagship Cos d’Estournel Grand Vin, its second wine Les Pagodes de Cos, and G d’Estournel, the third wine. While G is the most approachable of the trio, it still carries the estate’s signature balance, refinement, and attention to terroir that make every Cos d’Estournel wine unmistakably top-tier Bordeaux.

Find G d’Estournel on wine-searcher.com (avg price: $40)

The stunning Cos d’Estournel estate. Photo: Lisa Denning