This shows the vivid, racy side of Barsac, with streaming flavors of pineapple, yellow apple, green plum and white ginger, displaying lovely energy from start to finish. Ends with enough honeysuckle and orange blossom notes to balance the richness. Best from 2020 through 2035. JM

The 2014 Coutet has a slightly muddled nose, evident on two bottles that were opened. It eventually sorts itself out, scents of wild honey, dandelion, nettle, quince and melted wax. The palate is very well balanced and showed much more composure than the nose. This displays Coutet’s trademark crisp acidity, quite tensile, very pure with a long and tender viscous finish. There is a very good wine here but I just don’t think it showed on the day. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. - vinous.com, March 2018

Ripe tropical fruit, vanilla and herbs intermingle with smoky botrytis. Dense, rich flavours of custard and toffee apples, saffron and a hint of noble rot bitterness. Long finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2050
Tasted by Ian D’Agata
Part of Bordeaux 2014: Top 10 Sauternes & Barsac

The Château Coutet 2014 is a blend of 75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc and 2% Muscadelle and delivers...cue the drumroll...a whopping 162 grams per liter of residual sugar, the highest level of any Sauternes that I have data for. As you would expect, the total acidity is slightly, but not dramatically lower than its peers at 3.9 grams per liter (compared to say, 4.3 grams per liter at Doisy-Daëne.) This Coutet '14 has a complex bouquet with razor-sharp, minerally, citrus fruit mixed with wild honey and a touch of Riesling-like petrol. The palate is totally convincing. There is a great thrust of rich botrytized fruit sliced through with Coutet’s trademark acidity, despite the spoonfuls of sugar, that lends this such vibrancy and tension. It possesses and almost clinical precision with long persistence on the finish. This is a divine Coutet that may warrant a higher score subject to how it evolves in barrel. NM

Floral honey, lemon-curd and passion-fruit aromas pour from the glass and draw you into this creamy yet elegant Barsac that’s got good concentration on the middle palate and a very clean, long finish. Real sophistication! Drink now or hold.