Château Coutet 375ml 2021

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

From the Winery:

The graceful, slightly ethereal nose is dominated by floral notes of verbena, lemongrass and acacia blossom. The palate, fresh but with substance, expands on notes of acacia honey, while the finish reveals lime and caramelised lemon notes. Overall, a very mineral, graceful and delicate wine.

Sémillon 75%, Sauvignon Blanc 23%, Muscadelle 2%

About Château Coutet

Recognised amongst the finest wines in its appellation, Château Coutet was classified a First Growth in 1855.

One of the oldest estates in the Sauternes region, Coutet has an exceptional terroir and a rich architectural heritage. An English fortress in the 13th Century, this citadel with its square tower, a design typical of the era’s military constructions, became a wine producing estate in 1643.

Château Coutet belonged to the de Lur Saluces family for over a century and currently is owned and managed by Philippe and Dominique Baly, with the technical and commercial collaboration of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A., the vineyard’s exclusive distributor.

The name Coutet comes from the Gascon word for knife (“couteau”), in reference to the wine’s fresh, lively acidity and unique vivacity. In its youth, Château Coutet displays aromas of white flowers, citrus, honey, and vanilla. Age enhances the botrytis character to give the wines a deep, delicate bouquet with hints of spice and candied fruit.

In the Vineyard

In the Winery

Frementation in barrel. Ageing 18 months in 100% French oak barrels. To be bottled June 2023.

The 2021 Vintage at Château Coutet

After a particularly cold start to the winter with 15 days of negative temperatures, dry weather set in and lasted until early spring. Temperatures regularly reached 10° C or more, creating the necessary conditions for the onset of the vegetation cycle. With afternoon temperatures rising to over 25° C from 24 March, budbreak started at the end of the month and the first leaves appeared in early April. When the first frost hit in the night of 7 April, the Semillon vines were showing two to three leaves. Only a few plots were spared, deeply impacting prospects for the harvest. The vegetation cycle slowed after the frost as the ensuing drought and cool temperatures delayed secondary budding, which took almost a month to restart. A two-month spell of wet weather with over 300mm of rainfall enabled the vines to resume their development until mid-July. The summer was generally dry and cool, with thunderstorms at the beginning of August that brought 20mm of welcome rain. Botrytis then set in, encouraged by a further 50mm of rainfall in mid-September. Misty mornings and sunny afternoons in October created favourable conditions for the development of botrytis and for picking.

The harvest took place in good conditions between September 30 and October 18. 4 successive manual passes.

Where in the World is Château Coutet?

Château Coutet is in the Right Bank of Bordeaux in Barsac.

Play around with this interactive map of Bordeaux.