Château Coutet 2015

A light spice note and a slight hint of reduction prevent the fruit from fully expressing itself on the nose. It’s on the palate that it reveals all the energy of Barsac’s subsoil. And what a finish, with a note of white peach!

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. 4,583 cases made.

Rich stone-fruit aromas and a touch of oak, the fruit sumptuous. Very refined and polished, yet lifted and charming. Excellent balance and pungency.

Concentrated, creamy and elegant, this is a beautiful Barsac with delicate exotic-fruit character and a very long, rather oily finish. You could drink it now, but it will gain a lot from extended ageing.

Tasted blind. Lifted. A little nervy and unpredictable, edgy but with lots of true lively sweetness. (JR)

Rich, concentrated, lush and sweet, the mix of ripe and overripe, sweet, juicy tropical fruits, apricots, vanilla and orange is coated with honeyed and floral notes. There is a lot of sweetness here, but the acidity keeps it lifted.

Strong golden yellow with silver reflections. Fine honey blossom, ripe quince, yellow fruit nuances and candied orange zest. Juicy, balanced and elegant, with good muscle, integrated oak savouriness and a fine sweetness in the finish. At the moment only equipped with medium length, will still improve in the bottle.

Medium deep golden colour. Intense nose of ripe stone fruit, crushed nuts, baked pear, honey, saffron and fine oak. Dense and viscous palate, high but balanced sweetness, good grip and extract with candied citrus and orange peel, clove and vanilla, and a dense, vigorous and long finish with a good notion of freshness. Powerful and persistent.

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.

Medium yellow, linden-green nuances, bright. Intense, fully sweet bouquet, light raisins, apricot jelly, showing a fine floral spice. Builds continuously with air. On the palate, rich, again with a dramatic sweetness, a fine extract bitterness, the acidity currently seems to struggle a bit to balance this feat of power. That said, it very much deserves the term “liquoreux.”

Medium yellow with linden-green nuances, bright. Intense, fully sweet bouquet with light raisins, apricot jelly, and a hint of delicate floral spice. On the palate, rich, again showing a dramatic sweetness, a fine extract bitterness; the acidity currently seems to struggle a bit to balance this feat of power. That said, it particularly deserves the term “liquoreux.”

Powerful, dense, velvety bouquet with stewed pears, lemon cream, Alka-Seltzer, mint. Dense, powerful, opulent palate with a creamy, elegant structure, pronounced sweetness, fresh acidity, diverse aromatics; very long, lavish finish with plenty of lingering flavors. 19/20 2022 - 2050

An aromatic festival and an ultra-refined wine when the cork doesn’t cloud it. Great length with the salinity typical of the terroir.

With its pineapple and apricot notes lifted by a hint of gunflint, the nose is particularly elegant. On the palate, that same very refined elegance returns, supported by a lovely, dense texture. The wine has length, with a charming sweetness on the finish while remaining very airy. A great Coutet, superior to 2014.

Golden-yellow robe. An intense, complex bouquet marked by notes of citrus, mint and linden blossom. I also detect a mineral touch. Pleasant, charming attack. A rich yet balanced character on the palate, with a beautiful harmony between opulence and structure. The latter is welcome, as the sweetness of this wine is clearly expressed but not at all intrusive, precisely thanks to its liveliness and freshness. The firmness noted during the en primeur tastings has yielded somewhat to opulence and richness, yet still provides solid backbone. Patience will be required. I’m curious to follow this wine’s evolution.

The nose is fruity, fine, racy and incisive. It reveals notes of crystallized lemon and candied citrus, combined with subtle hints of beeswax, a touch of sweet spices and a discreet hint of flowers/verbena. The palate is fruity, fresh, mineral, racy, incisive, elegant, well-balanced and offers lovely volume as well as richness (yet perfectly balanced). On the palate, this wine expresses notes of candied lemon and crystallized mandarin, combined with small mineral notes (terroir), discreet hints of spices, honey, candied apricot and fine touches of candied pineapple. Good length. A lovely wine, in the house style! Nice potential!

Yellow colour. An intense, delicate nose, both fruity and creamy. Delicate on the attack, subtle as it develops, very soft at mid-palate, the wine caresses the palate. It evolves with refinement and flavour towards a long finish with nuances of fruit and candied lime. It is very good.

95–97. Barrel Sample. 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.