La Dame de Couhins - Second Vin du Château Couhins 2012

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

A brilliant golden-green color; a delicately fruity, mineral, and quite refined nose; full-bodied and very aromatic on the palate, with a strong predominance of citrus aromas; a lively finish; a very refreshing white wine.

About the estate:

This vineyard—not to be confused with Couhins-Lurton—belongs to INRA, which for a long time, despite its classification, did little to promote it. That is no longer the case, and a highly competent technical team is gradually bringing it up to the level of its peers. Only the white wine is classified, and it is proportionally more refined than the red, though the latter is improving as the vines age.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

Classified as a white wine, this 25-hectare vineyard located on the outskirts of Bordeaux belonged to the Gasqueton family—longtime owners of Calon Ségur (Saint-Estèphe)—before being acquired in 1968 by INRA, which made it its showcase for viticultural and oenological research.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

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

About the estate:

Since 1968, INRA has owned this Graves cru classé. Under the leadership of Dominique Forget, Couhins (not to be confused with its neighbor, Couhins-Lurton) now serves as both a viticultural research site and a production facility. Indeed, this beautiful terroir is home to cutting-edge research on plant material (clonal selections, rootstocks, etc.). Its vineyard is thus a source of many innovations, which have enabled numerous winegrowers to overcome the challenges of vine cultivation. At the same time, the estate employs a precise, plot-by-plot approach to viticulture. The white wines (often 100% Sauvignon Blanc) are well-crafted, fairly approachable, and best enjoyed young. The reds often lack depth and body, with finishes that are consistently too watery. However, the most recent vintages have shown greater density and better concentration. INRA regularly provides funding to improve production facilities. The estate expanded during the year with an additional hectare of Sauvignon Blanc and plans to plant another two hectares to quickly reach a total area of 30 hectares (7 hectares of white and 23 hectares of red).