Appellations

Coutet 2020

Sauternes/Barsac, First Growth Sauternes

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Tasting Notes

The 2020 Coutet is much more refined and light on its feet than it was from barrel. Tangerine peel, mint, passionfruit, white flowers and a hint of marzipan all grace this airy, wonderfully refined Barsac.

Score: 94 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2023-2040 Date: 23 February 2023

The 2020 Coutet is wonderfully dense and creamy from start to finish. Dried pear, marzipan, white flowers, mint and tangerine oil build in this super-expressive, deep Barsac. The 2020 has so much to offer.

Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com Maturity: 2026 - 2040 Date: 09 June 2021

The 2020 Coutet is wonderfully dense and creamy from start to finish. Dried pear, marzipan, white flowers, mint and tangerine oil build in this super-expressive, deep Barsac. The 2020 has so much to offer.

Score: 92 - 94 Antonio Galloni, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2026-2040 Date: 01 June 2021

Dark gold in colour, this is concentrated from start to finish, lusciously sweet in texture, burnt toffee, mango and caramelised ginger, lifted by citrus, white flower and pink grapefruit notes. Harvest from September 16 through to October 26, with six successive passes through the rows.

Score: 94 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Maturity: 2023-2045 Date: 09 February 2023

The 2020 Coutet has an intense bouquet with dried honey, saffron, dandelion and light crushed stone aromas, nicely focused and fairly complex. Quintessential Coutet. The palate is very well balanced with a decent thread of acidity, taut and fresh, not as powerful as Doisy-Daëne yet with admirable tension on the ginger-tinged finish. Very fine.

Score: 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 Date: 08 February 2023

Aline Baly kindly furnished me with background information on the 2020 Coutet. "The first sorting occurred on September 16 and 17 to harvest the botrytis resulting from the thunderstorms of August 15," she told me. "The second and third passeage were organized quickly, as the climatic conditions were becoming unfavorable. The teams were ready to harvest within the hour, as soon as a weather window emerged. This second phase of harvest finally took place on September 23 before a thunderstorm that resulted in a cumulative rainfall of 38mm. Then the harvest continued September 29 and 30 before 77mm of precipitation. A new passeage was initiated, initially, on October 8 and 9, but 140mm of rain accumulated since the first sort strongly impacted concentration levels, encouraging us to be patient until October 12. We resumed the harvest under normal conditions until October 22 but with a very capricious forecast. A fifth and sixth sort followed one another, and the harvest ended on October 26.” Coutet has a very perfumed and more floral bouquet compared to, say, the de Fargues that happens to precede it, aromas of dandelion and apricot mingling with saffron and light chamomile. The palate is well balanced, very pure and lightly spiced, displaying a tang of marmalade and quince toward a finish that is marked by Coutet’s trademark acidic bite. Quintessentially Coutet, this should give 25–30 years of drinking pleasure.

Score: 92 - 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025 - 2055 Date: 09 June 2021

Aline Baly kindly furnished me with background information on the 2020 Coutet. "The first sorting occurred on September 16 and 17 to harvest the botrytis resulting from the thunderstorms of August 15," she told me. "The second and third passeage were organized quickly, as the climatic conditions were becoming unfavorable. The teams were ready to harvest within the hour, as soon as a weather window emerged. This second phase of harvest finally took place on September 23 before a thunderstorm that resulted in a cumulative rainfall of 38mm. Then the harvest continued September 29 and 30 before 77mm of precipitation. A new passeage was initiated, initially, on October 8 and 9, but 140mm of rain accumulated since the first sort strongly impacted concentration levels, encouraging us to be patient until October 12. We resumed the harvest under normal conditions until October 22 but with a very capricious forecast. A fifth and sixth sort followed one another, and the harvest ended on October 26.” Coutet has a very perfumed and more floral bouquet compared to, say, the de Fargues that happens to precede it, aromas of dandelion and apricot mingling with saffron and light chamomile. The palate is well balanced, very pure and lightly spiced, displaying a tang of marmalade and quince toward a finish that is marked by Coutet’s trademark acidic bite. Quintessentially Coutet, this should give 25–30 years of drinking pleasure.

Score: 92 - 94 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2055 Date: 01 May 2021

Lots of honey, dried apples and lemons with some spices. Medium-to full-bodied, attractive phenolic texture and almond, dried-apple and lemon character at the end.

Score: 91 - 92 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com Date: 09 June 2021

95% Se´millon, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Greenish hint to the golden hue. Very classic with a botrytis note and some real freshness. Weight and integrity here with a savoury, even bacon-fat, finish. Not one of the sweetest wines, or what I probably mean is that the acidity is more pronounced than in many of its peers. Sleek and fresh. But probably for relatively early drinking.

Score: 17 Jancis Robinson MW, JamesSuckling.com Maturity: 2034-2038 Date: 25 April 2021