Château Couhins 2011

Medium-intensity color, fruity and floral aroma, smooth attack, subtle tannins with a hint of astringency, and a smooth finish.

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.

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 by INRA in 1968, which made it its showcase for viticultural and oenological research.
Refined and expressive, the bouquet of this deep ruby-red wine combines fresh berries, spices, and toasty notes. On the palate, it is full-bodied, robust, and well-structured, without being overly vigorous.

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

A lovely wine that exudes finesse and elegance without being over-extracted. Not particularly showy, it has a more slender than imposing profile, with notes of raspberry and flowers.

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) are well-crafted, fairly approachable, and enjoy best when 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 this 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).