The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.
Wine Description
The Story
The Château Coutet vines' deep roots extract elements from its terroir to give the grapes freshness, richness and strength. For this reason the estate carries the name "Coutet,” derived from the Gascon's word for knife, to signify the fresh, lively and crisp palate that is the wine's signature style. In its youth, the wines display generous notes of white flowers, citrus fruits, honey and vanilla. Ginger and pineapple are very typical aromas in a young Château Coutet. Time brings out deeper, warmer notes in which spices combine with exotic nectars and candied fruits, such as gingerbread mingled with marmalade. Age also enhances the harmony of its roasted Botrytis character and its distinct aromas to give Château Coutet a delicate and unique bouquet that is unsurpassed.
Area under vines: 38.5 hectares (95 acres)
Planted grape varieties: 75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle
Soil: Clay with a limestone sub-soil
Average age of the vines: 38 years
Planting density: 7,500 plants per hectare (3,000 plants per acre)
Vineyard management: "Taille à Cot" (traditional Sauternes pruning) and rational cultivation
Harvest: By hands (successive passes, called tries)
Average yield: 9 hl/ha (0.9 ton per acre)
Ageing: 18 months in French oak barrels, 70 to 100% new
Wine Information
Following a mild winter, the vines started to bud on March 25th, around the same time as the previous year. Mid-flowering was noted on June 5th and mid-veraison (when the grapes change color) on August 18th. Excellent weather conditions, with an exceptional amount of sunshine in October, allowed the Botrytis cinerea to develop evenly and the crop was harvested without difficulty. However, few clusters were affected by the Noble Rot in their entirety. As a result, the 75 pickers had to make seven successive passes.
Harvest dates: | September 18 to November 6 |
Tries: | 7 manual successive passes |
Number of days of harvest: | 23 |
Grape varieties: | 79% Sémillon, 20% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle |
Fermentation: | 100% barrel fermented, 100% new French oak |
Ageing: | 18 month in new French oak barrels |
Estate bottled: | May 2006 |
Tasting notes:
A lovely gold color enhanced by coppery glints, the wine's nose, ample and very open, shows complex notes of blended honey, beeswax, crystallized quince and small dried fruits. On the palate, the wine is round and generous, with a good balance between concentration and freshness, with a few notes of honey and rock sugar, mixed with spices and vanilla. On the finish, one finds an agreeable, saline minerality, bringing forth freshness, and a lengthy trail of very ripe exotic fruits.