Sweets & Fortifieds and Additional Finds
Timed Online Auction, 28 May - 10 June 2024
Sweets
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Château Coutet is a Premier Cru Sauternes producer located in the Barsac region of Bordeaux. It is one of the oldest producers in Sauternes, and has the longest cellar in the region, at 110 meters.
The château is an English fortress that was built in the 13th Century. In 1643, it was acquired by Charles le Guerin, a counselor in the Bordeaux parliament, who then passed it on to his nephew Jean le Pichard in 1695. In 1787, Thomas Jefferson claimed Château Coutet as the best Sauternes from Barsac. Coutet was then acquired by Gabriel-Barthelemy-Romain de Filhot. During the French Revolution the château was seized by the state, and Filhot was beheaded. Coutet went through numerous owners over the years before it was finally purchased by the Baly family in 1977.
Château Coutet is primarily made up of Semillon, with smaller amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The grapes are grown on clay and limestone soils, giving a distinct minerality to the sweet, botrytized wine.
Château Coutet Sauternes-Barsac 2015 is an outstanding example of a high-quality sweet wine from a remarkable vintage, offering a luxurious and memorable tasting experience. It is often highlighted for its excellent representation of the Barsac terroir, combining richness with a distinctive freshness.
Provenance
Wine Cellar Private Client
Critics Ratings
‘The wine is ripe yet stylish and pure. It has a great balance between bright acidity and rich fruitiness. It is a very fine wine with great aging potential, as it hints at the more opulent future to come.’ - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast, 95-97/100 (Jan 2016)
‘A heavenly dessert wine, the 2015 Château Coutet boasts a huge nose of caramelized citrus, crème brûlée, tangerine, and honeysuckle. With huge richness and sweetness, moderate acidity, a thick, fat mouthfeel and a blockbuster finish, it’s borderline over the top yet holds it together. It will be interesting to see how this evolves, but it’s undeniably gorgeous today.’ - Jeb Dunnuck, 96/100
‘The 2015 Coutet comes with 153 grams per liter of residual sugar at 13.8% alcohol. It has a fragrant bouquet with acacia honey, citrus scents and a touch of melted butter, all very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive purity, those limestone soils imparting the acidity that defined this Barsac, and lending great precision and tension on the live-wire finish. This is a wonderful Coutet that feels energetic - a compressed spring coil that will drink earlier than the likes of Climens or de Fargues, but has the DNA to age gracefully over 25-30 years.’ - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 94-96/100 (Jan 2018)
‘Flattering, with a mix of pineapple, peach, pear and yellow apple flavors that give this both treble and bass. Gilded with heather and lemon curd on the finish, with a flash of piecrust that should blossom as this matures. Best from 2020 through 2040.’ - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator, 95/100 (May 2016)
‘A Coutet with great depth and fruit. So much dried tropical fruit character, bright acidity and fruit sweetness. Vivid and clean.’ - James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, 94-95/100
‘A rich and deep wine, the bitter orange and mandarin coming in on the finish. It has a silky texture and delivers a beautiful fresh finish. Powerful, intense and complex.’ - Jane Anson, Decanter, 94/100
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