Drank this at Kai Garden for a wine dinner with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: A wine to end the year with.
Deep gold in colour, almost amber like. Notes of raw honey, bee wax, dried peaches, fresh apricot and sliced mango. Savouring this wine is like enjoying golden sunshine in a bottle.
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50cl chilled down bottle. Absolutely gorgeous wine now. It has matured wonderfully. Delicious mature citrus fruits with refreshing acidity. I think I probably last tried a bottle 7-8 years ago and it wasn’t anywhere near as good.
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Classy, classic! From a 375, served against a carrot cake loaded up with pineapple. I was happy with the match. Nice weight to the wine, still showing some backbone and freshness. Medium golden color, tropical fruit and dried apricot notes. Great QPR. Enjoyable now and felt like would have a long drinking window.
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Deep amber, faint green rim; barley sugar & marmalade, toffee; rich, tending to fat, caramel, power & intensity but with cut. Extended. Later burly. Drink soon
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Vivid dark brown color. The nose is just so expressive with a complexity that makes me think of salted nougat. Just the most delicious nutty note on this very lively aroma. On the palate moderately proportioned with fantastic lift and energy. Impeccable balance, the finish goes on and on. Has dropped quite a lot of its sweetness, seems to be at its peak. A real treat.
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The 1996 Coutet has matured beautifully with a deep copper and brass colour and a lovely nose of marmalade, preserved peach, tangerine and honey. The palate is medium weight with quite intense marmalade, peach, honey and butter characters. There is good persistence and a lovely line of fruit that continues right through the wine into touches of grape tannin and acid that provide grip and balance. Delicious and so much better for age.
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Ridge Cabs (La Trompette, London): Gorgeous colour. Usual Coutet slightly medicinal edge. Nicely sweet, but measured. Doesn’t quite cope with the soufflé. In line with a bottle last year. ***1/2
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Crumbly cork. Golden-yellow in colour. On the nose orange peel, orange marmalade, caramel, tropical fruit, spices. On the palate great acidity, quite lively and bright, spicy, good weight, very fine length. Drink or keep. 91-93
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9th of 12, pnp, perfect level, crumbly cork, previous notes at least fine, pale, fresh not over botrytised, honey, lime and a touch of mango, long, lighter style, hard to see it getting any better. F (17.5).....not up to a last glass of Raymond-Lafon '89.
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Medium gold colour. Pronounced nose of apricot, orange marmelade, crystallised ginger, honey, caramel, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, smoke, almonds, marzipan. Developing. Very complex. Sweet, medium (+) acidity. medium (+) alcohol (14%), full body, pronounced flavours, long finish. Outstanding, mature Barsac, but still with many years left in it. Acidity balances the sweetness and fruit, great concentration and complexity, long finish, very typical of its style. No hurry to drink as it still has the sweetness and fruit to support further development.
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Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Small pour, thanks to Brian - a much better bottle than the last time we had this. This had a lot of orange, citrus, nectarine, orange marmalade and honey on it. Quite good tonight.
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Mid gold. Elegance. Not overly sweet (for what it is), great balance. Tons of honeysuckle, white fruits, apricots, light orange marmalade. Reasonable amount of botrytis. Great lively acidity. Good length.
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light gold. Beautiful nose, elegant nutty orange with a bite of botrytis. Excellent balance. Mid set on palate, gentle elegant , fresh but very long . A really delicious barsac in its prime.
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Mid gold. Expected to be good but not this good. Classic Barsac nose , weightless, botrytis but not too much, twist of orange peel, but all understated. Perfect balance on palate, mid sweetness with lift , firm acidity and lingering finish. First from case.
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Mine is bin end stock, very good price at HKD360. Clean, floral, peach, honeysuckle, only hint of boytrtis nose. Med body, nice appetizing acidity, not so heavy, dried apricot, peach, long length and dry finish, so you can keep drinking it as a dessert.
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nice quince, nectarine, honeysuckle; hints of VA in the background; more elegant than sweet. Overpowered by the sweeter desserts, but nice with the cheeses.
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Orange, some honey, apricot, modest amounts of botrytis, good acidity and minerality, and above all, balance. This final component is, I feel, essential if a Sauternes/Barsac is to live up to its name. Reasonable length, now in the zone, but well stored Coutets can live a long time.
I must admit that I have a soft spot for Coutet, and find them remarkably consistent across vintages. I'd love to visit the Chateau one day.
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PopnPour, tasted over 1 hr, from 375 mL -deep copper -sweet caramel, some apricot -less acidity than expected, lighter bodied but very sweet -OK, lacking complexity
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Dinner at Michaelangelo's (Michaelangelo's, Holland Village): From a 375ml. I had quite forgotten that I tried this before, and my impressions are entirely in line with those of two years ago. A very nice, but unspectacular Barsac. This had the advantage of drinking very nicely at the moment. Nose showed typical botrytis scents of burnt suga, rubber, apricots, dried peach and some stewed tea. The palate had a soft, creamy textured buffered by nice acidity. The sweetness has started to come down a bit, but there were still plenty of honeyed tones, with golden peaches and apricots mingling amidst more raw sugar notes. Finish was a little diminished and had a little angular touch of iodine, a bit weaker here than from the full bottle in 2008. But that aside, the wine was delicious and drinking very nicely. Not sure that this is one for the ages, so no harm opening one now if you have any.
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Pleasant, well balanced wine: less Barsac, more like a watery Sauternes in character. Nice hints of botrytis and glue/solvent on nose; gentle, medium-sweet entry -the lightness is Barsac, but the acidity feels too low; the long floral finish is the best thing about this reserved, conservative bottle. 87P
P.S. I am revising my mark up to 89P on the second day after opening. This has opened up admirably, the main change being that the carpet glue note has now moved to the finish. Funny, I never used to sniff glue as a kid, but the finish on this wine really turns me on. Otherwise it now shows a good balance of funky botrytis, acidity and fruit (in diminishing strength, but without becoming lop-sided). 89P
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Bordeaux Tasting at MHP (MHP): Exquisite balance. The sweet / acid balance here has just been exceptionally handled. Lots of spicy botrytis on the nose. Apricots, nectarines, honey and a floral touch. Good finish. Very well made, not a powerhouse and wouldn't mind a bit more intensity, but oh, the balance!
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Lunch at G.B. Roof Garden Restaurant with my friend George. Notes from a half bottle. Bright yellow color, with some green hues. Very warm nose plenty of spicy botrytis and peaches. Medium to full bodied on the palate, with silky texture, lot of residual sugar, but with great balance and flavors of tangerine, vanilla and honeyed exotic fruits. Endless aftertaste.
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Strong aromas of honey, caramel, honeysuckle, with some lychee and sweet citrus (orangey). Medium bodied, it’s sweet w/caramel and honey notes but with enough acidity to balance the fruit so the wine isn’t cloying. Lovely finish.
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($50) Ripe and sweet, as one might expect. Orange, spices, stone fruit (peaches, nectarines). Good length, though not great length. Very nice dessert wine. Rather light.
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12/29/2023 - stayhappy21 wrote: 90 Points
Drank this at Kai Garden for a wine dinner with my wine mates. Theme of the evening: A wine to end the year with.
Deep gold in colour, almost amber like. Notes of raw honey, bee wax, dried peaches, fresh apricot and sliced mango. Savouring this wine is like enjoying golden sunshine in a bottle.
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4/9/2023 - jc01 Likes this wine: 95 Points
50cl chilled down bottle. Absolutely gorgeous wine now. It has matured wonderfully. Delicious mature citrus fruits with refreshing acidity. I think I probably last tried a bottle 7-8 years ago and it wasn’t anywhere near as good.
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3/27/2023 - btock Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classy, classic! From a 375, served against a carrot cake loaded up with pineapple. I was happy with the match. Nice weight to the wine, still showing some backbone and freshness. Medium golden color, tropical fruit and dried apricot notes. Great QPR. Enjoyable now and felt like would have a long drinking window.
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6/11/2020 - chbeaumont wrote: 91 Points
Deep amber, faint green rim; barley sugar & marmalade, toffee; rich, tending to fat, caramel, power & intensity but with cut. Extended. Later burly. Drink soon
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2/20/2020 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
1996 Bordeaux (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): Half. Coconut, some botrytis. Mid sweetness. A sense of the lip-smacking. Very decent and some. ****
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12/25/2019 - Chimer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep amber, lovely energy and some bitter orange fruit, sweetness dropping but still lovely with a citron tart, also lovely with a bite of stilton.
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10/20/2019 - kuumies wrote:
Vivid dark brown color. The nose is just so expressive with a complexity that makes me think of salted nougat. Just the most delicious nutty note on this very lively aroma. On the palate moderately proportioned with fantastic lift and energy. Impeccable balance, the finish goes on and on. Has dropped quite a lot of its sweetness, seems to be at its peak. A real treat.
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9/30/2019 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 1996 Coutet has matured beautifully with a deep copper and brass colour and a lovely nose of marmalade, preserved peach, tangerine and honey. The palate is medium weight with quite intense marmalade, peach, honey and butter characters. There is good persistence and a lovely line of fruit that continues right through the wine into touches of grape tannin and acid that provide grip and balance. Delicious and so much better for age.
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8/11/2019 - redders Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is really really good. Amazingly young . Zippy fresh fruit streaked with botrytis. Bright fresh medium sweet. Very long fresh finish. Delicious!
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6/13/2019 - NateR Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very floral, and honey, aromas and flavors. Fresh on the palate, the age is only slightly evident in the finish. From a half bottle.
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10/16/2018 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Ridge Cabs (La Trompette, London): Gorgeous colour. Usual Coutet slightly medicinal edge. Nicely sweet, but measured. Doesn’t quite cope with the soufflé. In line with a bottle last year. ***1/2
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9/20/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Crumbly cork. Golden-yellow in colour. On the nose orange peel, orange marmalade, caramel, tropical fruit, spices. On the palate great acidity, quite lively and bright, spicy, good weight, very fine length. Drink or keep. 91-93
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8/27/2017 - redders wrote: 92 Points
Mid gold plenty of botrytis but very focussed. Rich for Coutet but lovely acidity keeps it fresh and terrific length. Lovely
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8/12/2017 - liber Likes this wine: 91 Points
9th of 12, pnp, perfect level, crumbly cork, previous notes at least fine, pale, fresh not over botrytised, honey, lime and a touch of mango, long, lighter style, hard to see it getting any better. F (17.5).....not up to a last glass of Raymond-Lafon '89.
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7/13/2017 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Farewell Filippo, Il Duomo table (La Trompette, London): Half. Very medicinal botrytis nose. Fairly sweet, slightly tropical. A bit of spice to the sweetness. Very decent. ***1/2
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3/4/2017 - Andrewbdc wrote: 93 Points
Medium gold colour.
Pronounced nose of apricot, orange marmelade, crystallised ginger, honey, caramel, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, smoke, almonds, marzipan. Developing. Very complex.
Sweet, medium (+) acidity. medium (+) alcohol (14%), full body, pronounced flavours, long finish.
Outstanding, mature Barsac, but still with many years left in it. Acidity balances the sweetness and fruit, great concentration and complexity, long finish, very typical of its style. No hurry to drink as it still has the sweetness and fruit to support further development.
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12/9/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (I Nonni, St. Paul, MN): Small pour, thanks to Brian - a much better bottle than the last time we had this. This had a lot of orange, citrus, nectarine, orange marmalade and honey on it. Quite good tonight.
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10/27/2016 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Mostly CDP's; 10/23/2016-10/27/2016 (Gary): Pleasant enough Sauternes. Not much sweetness left, some spice, a little too sharp.
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10/22/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 89 Points
Rhones at Gary's (Gary's Place, Hudson, WI): Deep amber color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes. Honey, citrus, orange, apricot, thinner body, angular finish.
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8/19/2016 - cannym Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mid gold. Elegance. Not overly sweet (for what it is), great balance. Tons of honeysuckle, white fruits, apricots, light orange marmalade. Reasonable amount of botrytis. Great lively acidity. Good length.
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10/19/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
light gold. Beautiful nose, elegant nutty orange with a bite of botrytis. Excellent balance. Mid set on palate, gentle elegant , fresh but very long . A really delicious barsac in its prime.
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6/13/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mid gold. Expected to be good but not this good. Classic Barsac nose , weightless, botrytis but not too much, twist of orange peel, but all understated. Perfect balance on palate, mid sweetness with lift , firm acidity and lingering finish. First from case.
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3/21/2015 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fine mature barsac. Good botrytis, lanolin, tropical fruit nose. Not that sweet - kind of dryish for the type of wine.
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11/16/2014 - yiuwing_hk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mine is bin end stock, very good price at HKD360.
Clean, floral, peach, honeysuckle, only hint of boytrtis nose. Med body, nice appetizing acidity, not so heavy, dried apricot, peach, long length and dry finish, so you can keep drinking it as a dessert.
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2/16/2014 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
nice quince, nectarine, honeysuckle; hints of VA in the background; more elegant than sweet. Overpowered by the sweeter desserts, but nice with the cheeses.
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12/26/2013 - burrac Likes this wine: 92 Points
Orange, some honey, apricot, modest amounts of botrytis, good acidity and minerality, and above all, balance. This final component is, I feel, essential if a Sauternes/Barsac is to live up to its name. Reasonable length, now in the zone, but well stored Coutets can live a long time.
I must admit that I have a soft spot for Coutet, and find them remarkably consistent across vintages. I'd love to visit the Chateau one day.
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3/16/2013 - Cote d'Or Likes this wine:
PopnPour, tasted over 1 hr, from 375 mL
-deep copper
-sweet caramel, some apricot
-less acidity than expected, lighter bodied but very sweet
-OK, lacking complexity
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2/18/2013 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Smelt of apricot jam and some volatile acidity punching up into one’s nostrils. It was sweet and round with acidity that is beginning to soften.
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1/20/2011 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at Michaelangelo's (Michaelangelo's, Holland Village): From a 375ml. I had quite forgotten that I tried this before, and my impressions are entirely in line with those of two years ago. A very nice, but unspectacular Barsac. This had the advantage of drinking very nicely at the moment. Nose showed typical botrytis scents of burnt suga, rubber, apricots, dried peach and some stewed tea. The palate had a soft, creamy textured buffered by nice acidity. The sweetness has started to come down a bit, but there were still plenty of honeyed tones, with golden peaches and apricots mingling amidst more raw sugar notes. Finish was a little diminished and had a little angular touch of iodine, a bit weaker here than from the full bottle in 2008. But that aside, the wine was delicious and drinking very nicely. Not sure that this is one for the ages, so no harm opening one now if you have any.
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9/25/2010 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant, well balanced wine: less Barsac, more like a watery Sauternes in character. Nice hints of botrytis and glue/solvent on nose; gentle, medium-sweet entry -the lightness is Barsac, but the acidity feels too low; the long floral finish is the best thing about this reserved, conservative bottle. 87P
P.S. I am revising my mark up to 89P on the second day after opening. This has opened up admirably, the main change being that the carpet glue note has now moved to the finish. Funny, I never used to sniff glue as a kid, but the finish on this wine really turns me on. Otherwise it now shows a good balance of funky botrytis, acidity and fruit (in diminishing strength, but without becoming lop-sided). 89P
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9/9/2009 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Drinking beautifully. Lovely balanced wine.
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6/5/2009 - Benj wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Tasting at MHP (MHP): Exquisite balance. The sweet / acid balance here has just been exceptionally handled. Lots of spicy botrytis on the nose. Apricots, nectarines, honey and a floral touch. Good finish. Very well made, not a powerhouse and wouldn't mind a bit more intensity, but oh, the balance!
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5/15/2009 - balassis wrote: 93 Points
Lunch at G.B. Roof Garden Restaurant with my friend George.
Notes from a half bottle.
Bright yellow color, with some green hues.
Very warm nose plenty of spicy botrytis and peaches.
Medium to full bodied on the palate, with silky texture, lot of residual sugar, but with great balance and flavors of tangerine, vanilla and honeyed exotic fruits.
Endless aftertaste.
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6/1/2008 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
UGC Wine Review Dinner (Conrad Centennial): A flower garden in bloom.
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5/26/2008 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC dinner. Very nice without being mind-blowing. Sweet, but with sufficient acid balance, flavours in the peach / nectarine / dried apricots spectrum. It is just about taking on the secondary flavours of caramel, butterscotch and nut. Decent finish with a hint of spice. Yum.
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3/13/2008 - MeToo wrote:
Strong aromas of honey, caramel, honeysuckle, with some lychee and sweet citrus (orangey). Medium bodied, it’s sweet w/caramel and honey notes but with enough acidity to balance the fruit so the wine isn’t cloying. Lovely finish.
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10/25/2001 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Very young still, but very pleasant, stylish, fresh and honeyed with good fruit and length.
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5/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($50) Ripe and sweet, as one might expect. Orange, spices, stone fruit (peaches, nectarines). Good length, though not great length. Very nice dessert wine. Rather light.
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