{"id":21002,"date":"2021-10-25T21:15:30","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T20:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cos.projet-client.com\/un-bestiaire-en-son-domaine\/"},"modified":"2022-05-12T15:19:56","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T14:19:56","slug":"un-bestiaire-en-son-domaine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/home\/cos-chronicle\/un-bestiaire-en-son-domaine\/","title":{"rendered":"An Estate and Its Bestiary"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Doves, dragons and oxen” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator][vc_column_text]The crest of Cos d\u2019Estournel rises above the monumental gate through which visitors pass before entering the chateau. It is borne by a fierce lion in a menacing and protective stance, a classic architectural symbol that reminds inhabitants of the authority, dignity, strength, and ferocity of the king of beasts. In a surprising contrast, the lion is seconded by a unicorn, a charming, gentle-eyed symbol of joy, purity, and healing. And so it is that under these precious stone auspices, these omens of good fortune, visitors embark upon their discovery of Cos d\u2019Estournel.<\/span><\/p>\n

As their gazes are drawn up to the main pagoda, the doves and dragons carved around its openings invite their spirits and souls to run free, inspired by sacred treasures and celestial mysteries that mirror the alchemy behind the transformation of the estate\u2019s grapes into wine. The line between reality and myth blurs, as the doves\u2014innocent and immaculate\u2014seem to temper the fearful yet protective ire of the mighty dragons.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”22029″ img_size=”810×810″ add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”22035″ img_size=”810×540″ add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Like a grounding force for these mythical, magical aspirations, the farm animals that greatly contributed to the development of Cos continue to assert a discreet presence. From the facade of the former stables, a small army of oxen\u2014benevolent, tranquil, and strong\u2014stands watch, recalling their solid, hardworking ancestors, essential allies in the vineyard until the advent of agricultural machinery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sculpted on a basin on the garden wall, a kindly, placid ram observes Cos, as if to bestow upon the estate the fiery spirit, determination, strength, and fertility that it symbolizes. Even the mule\u2014diligent and stubborn\u2014now long gone from the stables, humbly manifests itself in the name of a plot at the heart of the vineyard. \u201cThe Six Sadons of the Mule\u201d alludes to a past when muleteers and their teams of animals were responsible for covering scores of sadons, an ancient unit of measurement for an area the length of 200 vine plants and the width of 100 vine plants.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, like a transition between past and present, across the road in fields overlooking the estate\u2019s vines, cows graze alongside a stream, a pastoral reminder of ancient cousins who once graced the place with their presence.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”22041″ img_size=”810×540″ add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”30″ accent_color=”#a30b34″][vc_custom_heading text=”The elephants of Cos are its guardian angels and good-luck charms.” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_separator color=”custom” el_width=”30″ accent_color=”#a30b34″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]This magnificent bestiary would not be complete without the elephants of Cos d\u2019Estournel, its stunning, strange emblems, symbol of the Eastern influences so dear to the estate\u2019s founder Louis-Gaspard d\u2019Estournel. Watchful and protective, elephants appear everywhere: in the gardens, in the cellars, and throughout the residence.<\/span>
\nThey are sculpted from stone, wood, and boxwood; woven into damask; and stylized on the estate\u2019s logo. Even the massive wooden door from Zanzibar evokes the colossal creatures, for it is covered in nails that once served to protect its wooden panels from passing herds of elephants. Symbols of intelligence, strength, wisdom, longevity, fertility, and independence, the elephants of Cos are its guardian angels and good-luck charms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, Cos would be nothing without the wildlife that imbues the vineyard with vital energy. Its hedges are filled with songbirds, raptors, field mice, rabbits, and hares, its woods with wild boar and deer, and insects thrive throughout.<\/span>
\nThese discreet yet essential elements of the estate\u2019s bestiary are championed and protected by the men and women of Cos, who, like Louis-Gaspard, are only too aware of just how fundamental they are.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”22101″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vines, trees, and blue skies, as far as the eye can see. Deep in the heart of the M\u00e9doc, the estate\u2019s elegant pagodas rise heavenwards, a rich testimony of the legacy of Louis-Gaspard d\u2019Estournel. But among these splendors, perhaps one of the finest is the estate\u2019s stunning diversity of living creatures . . . <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1749,"featured_media":20996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journal-de-bord","category-article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1749"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21002"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24141,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21002\/revisions\/24141"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.estournel.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}