When Basque Country natives Dominique Arangoïts, the winemaker responsible for crafting Cos d’Estournel Blanc, and Gaëtan Lacoste, the maestro behind the wine selection and deft pairings with Jérôme Banctel’s cuisine at La Réserve Paris – Hotel and Spa, come together to taste three vintages of Cos d’Estournel Blanc, the result is a fascinating, mouth-watering conversation between two men as passionate about fine wines as one can be!
Dominique Arangoïts: I wanted to begin with our third vintage of Cos d’Estournel Blanc, the 2007. The weather that year was cool and quite nice in September; it was what we call a “white wine year.” There is a higher proportion of Sauvignon Blanc in the blend. Upon tasting, you immediately recognize the fruity freshness that was already pronounced when the wine was young, as well as its characteristic briny notes.
Gaëtan Lacoste: Yes, the 2007 has maintained its vivacity and precision and offers a longer finish and greater complexity, with subtle toasted and honeyed notes. It is perfect today, but amateurs of more mature wines will be delighted to know that it still has cellaring potential.
Dominique Arangoïts: It’s a wine that inspires audacious pairings!
“Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2007 is perfect today.”
Gaëtan Lacoste: Absolutely! I imagine serving it with one of Jérôme Banctel’s signature desserts, a lemon cream with vanilla Earl Grey ice cream. Dry wines can prove marvelous pairings with desserts that are not too sweet, especially when the vintage in question offers these delectable aromas of luscious candied fruit and is singular, round, and rich on the palate.
Dominique Arangoïts: It is a pairing that is sure to surprise!
The next wine is Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2015. This vintage marked a turning point for us: thanks to the experience we acquired on this terroir in the far reaches of the northern Médoc, we realized the great potential of our Sémillon to bring depth to the wine and highlight its aromas with notes of spice.
2015 was the ideal year to begin evolving Cos d’Estournel Blanc by including more Sémillon grown on the vineyard’s older vines.
Gaëtan Lacoste: An ideal pairing for the 2015 would be the veal filet mignon with Thai spices and squid and cep mushroom ravioli. The spicy character typical of Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2015 would be a lovely counterpoint to the fine texture and flavor of the delicately roasted white meat. Evocative of autumn, the squid and cep mushroom ravioli would highlight the elegant and natural evolution of a wine that is close to reaching full maturity.
Dominique Arangoïts: Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2015 is indeed somewhere in-between. A year or two more would allow it to develop notes characteristic of older wines, which could prove very interesting given the wine’s higher proportion of Sémillon.
The third wine we will taste is Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2017. This vintage saw ideal weather conditions for its Sauvignon Blanc, with cool temperatures that preserved the full range of fruity aromas and resulted in very rich grape berries.
“Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2017 is an absolute treat.”
Gaëtan Lacoste: I would serve the 2017 with a lovely scallop carpaccio with preserved citron and Sturia caviar from the Aquitaine region.
The idea would be to echo the purity of Cos d’Estournel Blanc with the subtle, magnificent shellfish, associated with the scent of citron and the brininess of the caviar. With its floral nose, pure fruity aromas, and rich, complex, aromatic finish, it is an absolute treat that would be sublimated by this pairing!
Dominique Arangoïts: I absolutely agree; it is a versatile wine whose purity and powerful floral and fruity aromas are very enjoyable at this stage. But it is also a wine that will continue to gain in complexity over the next three or four years.
Gaëtan Lacoste: What strikes me is how this vintage brings us back to our first impressions of Cos d’Estournel Blanc 2007. I think you could say we’ve come full circle!
