Château Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2019 - 1er Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Coutet (pronounced "Coutette" in Gascon) is destined to be the eternal rival of Climens in Barsac, which is not a miserable fate. Its soils are slightly different, and while we find the citrus notes born of the limestone base, Coutet produces wines that are a little more lively and mineral than Climens. In recent vintages, the wine has shown greater smoothness and richness, keeping pace with its peers. 2014 will not match the château's greatest vintages, but 2015 should be dazzling.

Decanter

About wine:

A magnificent nose full of exotic spices and candied fruit (orange, apricot, honey). On the palate, a beautiful creamy texture, rich but smooth—like caramel. The wine is quite defined and straightforward but with roundness and generosity (pineapple, mango, violet). It is still a little young but with great liveliness, an acidity that gives energy and life throughout. Enhanced and luminous. 2027-2045

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About wine:

Coutet 2019, with its pale lemon-gold color, is a real tour de force from the outset, exploding in the glass with incredibly intense aromas of mandarin peel, lime blossom, and lemon marmalade on a core of pineapple upside-down cake, candied ginger, ripe apricots, and clover honey, as well as hints of chanterelle mushrooms and musk. The palate is equally electric and exhilarating, prancing around the mouth with a myriad of flavors of candied citrus, stone fruit, and citrus, charged by a racy backbone of acidity, finishing beautifully textured and with a fireworks display of minerals of breathtaking length. Apart from all that, it is utterly delicious. 2025-2055

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About wine:

Immediately, it draws us into the Barsac terroir with its subtle hint of iron. With its striking aroma, it is extremely pure and smells of candied lemon. On the palate, it draws on the limestone richness of its terroir, which gives it great vitality. A finely crafted wine, despite its richness. Masterful.

About the estate:

This premier grand cru classé is one of the two lords of Barsac, along with Climens. On most of the plots, the famous red soil—a combination of iron oxide and limestone—gives the wine extra liveliness compared to its neighbors with equivalent sugar content. Its citrus and acacia aromas bring it closer to Climens, but Coutet generally expresses itself more quickly and often has slightly less liqueur, apart from the famous crème de tête known as the Madame cuvée. Philippe Baly from Alsace and his brother Dominique, along with his daughter Aline, have been conscientiously managing the estate since their father bought it in 1977. We have been following this very consistent estate for many years.

Le Figaro vins

About wine:

A nose of great purity, with notes of dried apricot and currants, generous but with a lively, chiseled quality. On the palate, a wave of flavor deliciously coats the palate, with a very seductive side of passion fruit, lime, and yellow peach.

Yves Beck

About wine:

Such freshness, authenticity, and character! Minerality and fruit create a beautiful symbiosis through notes of rhubarb, apples, and caramelized apple aromas. This harmony is reflected on the palate, where liveliness, temperament, and sweetness are in perfect balance. This Coutet has excellent aging potential, and I believe it has not yet revealed its full potential... But it is definitely there. It will have time to reveal itself over the coming decades. A salty, lingering finish. 2026-2074

Vert de Vin

About wine:

The nose is fruity, syrupy, fresh, elegant, racy, and offers a certain energy. There are notes of quince, lemon paste and, more subtly, mandarin paste, combined with hints of pineapple in syrup, a touch of apricot, crushed mango and discreet hints of saffron, racy minerality and an imperceptible hint of pastry. The palate is fruity, nicely balanced, beautifully executed and offers juiciness, richness, fat, creaminess, energy, a tangy structure and tension. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of quince paste, candied lemon and, more subtly, crystallized mandarin, combined with hints of dried apricot, pineapple in syrup, mango and hints of verbena, peach blossom, saffron, lime, a subtle hint of racy minerality, almond, and an imperceptible hint of cinnamon (in the background). Good length. A lovely success!

Anthocyanes - Yohan Castaing

About wine:

Pear, exotic fruit, white fruit, and magnificent floral notes. Beautifully roasted, with tension, chewiness, length, and a fresh, airy finish. Citrus, candied ginger. A very seductive Coutet with a distinct identity.