The 2020 Château Coutet is flat-out gorgeous, with a concentrated, powerful style in its caramelized orange, honeyed flowers, pineapple upside down cake, and toasty, spicy nuances. Rich, full-bodied, concentrated, and layered, it nevertheless stays focused, pure, and precise, with laser-like precision and vibrancy on the palate. This tour de force in Sauternes is going to pretty much just knock your socks off over the coming two decades.

Lemon meringue pie, honeysuckle, candied pineapple, orange blossoms, flowers and spice create an enthralling perfume. Sweet, yet zesty, rich and racy with a shot of cinnamon and honey-slathered yellow tropical fruits and vanilla that linger. This decadent sweet treat works because of its balancing acidity that keeps everything fresh and vibrant. 94-96

The 2020 Coutet has a pale lemon-gold color, waltzing out of the glass with energetic notes of lemon tart, pink grapefruit, green mango and lime blossoms, with hints of chopped almonds, clover honey, candle wax and straw, plus a waft of sea spray. The palate is all class, featuring ethereal intensity and amazing poise, enveloped in a satiny texture and seamless acidity, finishing long and mineral laced. Currently, while it is just a tick or so down on the impressive 2019, I love the restraint and energy of this 2020 and wouldn't be surprised if it eventually spreads its wings and surpasses its showier sibling over time.

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.

Tasted by Jane Anson(at Primeur week tastings in Bordeaux, 01 May 2021)

Bright, yellow gold colour, with citrus, apricot, pineapple and a ton of mango fruits on the palate. Silky texture with spikes of lime juice bringing pep and definition. Saffron and white pepper add even more lift through the finish, this is excellent and easy to recommend.

Drinking Window 2022 - 2050

Lush and peachy on the nose, this is quite honeyed. Silky and no heavyweight, it displays bright acidity that cleanses the palate. It's not very nuanced but has solid fruit. While lacking some energy and drive, it already drinks well. Quite long, with a creamy finish. Organic.

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.
- vinous.com

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.

vinous.com

Pale lemon-yellow; fresh, fine, honeyed, well-defined, with the characteristic hint of limestone minerality; medium-full, fresh wine; sweet, refined, but with very limited concentration and botrytis complexity, a moderate length of flavor for the cru, attractive, but limited for Coutet, and with good, light length to finish. Class, yes, but a “slender” aperitif style. Likely to age gracefully but always at this mezzo-piano dynamic.

Full bottle all of 1,405 g. 95% Se?millon, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Cask sample. 18 months in oak envisaged. No information on yield.
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.

Certified HVE ( Haute Valeur Environnementale) Level 3. 95% Sémillon, 4% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle. Mid gold. Intense aroma of honeyed apricots and a lovely bitter-orange bite and light oak spice. On the palate, barley-sugar (type of British hard candy) flavours are sweet but zesty with a leesy texture of fresh pears. Very good freshness, moderate intensity, great balance. (JH)