Typically, we visit one sweet wine producer in Sauternes/ Barsac during the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours. This time, we visited Château Coutet.
Laurier Girardot, Technical Director, was our host. We spent quite some time in the vineyard befor touring the wine cellar and tasting 5 Château Coutet wines, including grand vin 2016, 2010 and 1989.
The history of Château Coutet in Barsac, the neighbouring community of Sauternes, can be traced back to the 13 th century. Originally it was built as a fort which you can still see today in the layout of the château with its massive tower. Since 1643 Château Coutet is a full-time Sauternes wine producing estate. It changed ownership many times, for about 100 years (early 19 th century – early 20 th century) it belonged to the Lur-Saluces family, the owners of Château d’Yquem.
In 1787 wine connoisseur Thomas Jefferson described the Coutet wines as the best one in Sauternes-Barsac when he was ambassador in France. In 1855 Château Coutet was classified as Premier Cru Classé which was granted to only 15 châteaux in the Sauternes-Barsac appellation -with d’Yquem as Premier Cru Classé Superieur.
Modern times started at Château Coutet when the Alsatian Marcel Baly acquired the estate in 1977. The vineyards and cellars were not in perfect shape at that time and the Baly family put in a lot of investment and work to do extensive replanting in the vineyards and to renovate the cellars. After a decade or so the vintages showed an immense improvement in the wines and what Château Coutet was capable of.
Another turning point for the upward trend of the quality of the wines was 1994 when the Baly family started the collaboration with Baron Philipp Rothschild SA by signing an agreement for a distribution deal and for technical advice from the team at Mouton.
Current manager of Château Coutet is Marcel Baly’s granddaughter Aline Baly, who was educated in the US. Her uncle Philippe supports Aline in running the business.
Château Coutet produces around 4,000 cases (yield of 9hl/ha!) of sweet wine annually on 87 acres. The vineyards are planted with 75% Semillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, and 2% Muscadelle. Just in less than a mile east of the vineyards lies the Ciron river, credited with bringing the condition for botrytis to the region. Since 2010 Château Coutet also produces a dry white wine called Opalie de Château Coutet from a blend of 50% Sauvignon Blanc and 50% Semillon.
Welcome
Vineyard Tour
Cellar Tour
Tasting
Bye-bye
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