Château Coutet is a Premier Cru Classé (French: First Growth) sweet wine from the Sauternes-Barsac appellation located in Barsac, in the southern part of France’s Bordeaux vineyards. Château Coutet is one of the oldest Sauternes producing vineyards, and is described by David Peppercorn as a "twin" of Barsac's other Premier cru estate, Château Climens.

History

Château Coutet was recognised as a Classified First Growth in the 1855 classification, but the lands around Barsac, among the coldest in the area, had already been planted with vines for centuries.

Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States of America, lived in France for a number of years, serving as ambassador there from 1785 to 1789. A true gourmet, he was also a wine merchant and wrote travel diaries from great French wine-producing regions. A man of good sense, he acknowledged Château Coutet as "the best Sauternes in Barsac."

Vineyards

A golden triangle formed by the ocean, the river and the forest, with the Ciron running through it: that is where you will find the terroir. Château Coutet bears the stamp of the place, a one-of-a-kind liveliness and a keen-edged style which may explain the name of the château itself, derived from couteau, the French word for knife. 

It is a playground for Botrytis cinerea, which spreads and insinuates itself into the heart of the grapes during the morning humidity. It then does its work during the afternoon warmth, transforming aromas and concentrating sugars.

Wines

The Baly family has now been at work at Château Coutet for forty years. A good opportunity to celebrate the progress made, the anniversary was marked by critical acclaim: Château Coutet 2014 was ranked third in the Top 100 World Wines published by Wine Spectator, an achievement which has spurred the team at the estate on to even greater things.