Château Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2020 - 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.

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

About wine:

It releases a lovely aroma combining notes of pastry, apricot, and mandarin orange. Despite a more moderate liqueur with a few grams less sugar than in previous years, it retains a beautiful sweetness on the palate. But it quickly asserts itself with the tonic and mineral strength of the Barsac soil, its invigorating intensity and lovely bitter notes of citrus zest on the finish.

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.

Wine Enthusiast

About wine:

This beautifully fragrant wine is richly textured and full of spice. Its acidity and lightness come through strongly to produce a wine that is both rich and light. Drink from 2028 onwards.

Jeb Dunnuck

About wine:

Château Coutet 2020 is absolutely magnificent, with a concentrated and powerful style in its nuances of caramelized orange, honeyed flowers, pineapple upside-down cake, toast, and spices. Rich, full-bodied, and layered, it remains concentrated and pure, with laser-like precision and liveliness on the palate. This tour de force from the Sauternes region will blow you away for the next two decades. 2024-2044

Terre de Vins

About wine:

What a remarkable wine again this year! An initiatory journey where everything is a demonstration. A nuanced and elegant nose, honeyed, with notes of old rose, verbena, and mirabelle plum. The attack is fragrant with verbena, noble substance, and silkiness. A caressing volume. Slender and refined power. Monumental in 2020.

Vert de Vin

About wine:

The nose is elegant, racy, precise, and beautifully marked by its terroir, offering a certain straightforwardness, depth (in finesse), and complexity. There are notes of lime, crystallized lemon, and a lighter minerality, combined with a lovely racy/chiseled/sharp character, hints of zest, crunchy pineapple, and subtle hints of white flowers, lime blossom, and discreet hints of nuts. The palate is fruity, balanced and offers freshness, juiciness, a tangy structure, tension, precision and good definition, with a chiseled/sharp side (dignified and finely expressing its terroir). On the palate, this wine expresses notes of lemon, crystallized lemon zest and, more subtly, yuzu, combined with hints of candied mandarin, crunchy pineapple, lemon blossom, hints of lime blossom, white flowers, candied white berries and subtle hints of spice. Good length.

Tastingbook - Markus Del Monego

About wine:

Bright golden color. Expressive nose with aromas reminiscent of candied orange peel, fresh passion fruit, ripe peaches, dried apricots, and notes of honey and almonds. Vanilla and hints of gingerbread in the background. On the palate, the opulent sweetness is tempered by elegant acidity and fine minerality. The fruit unfolds in several layers with passion fruit, mango and peach jam, notes of spicy ginger and peppery spices in the background. An excellent Coutet with depth and length.