2020 Château Coutet Opalie Sec

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 91 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Michael Mackenzie's profile
  • Report Issue

  8/1/2022 - Michael Mackenzie Likes this wine: 91 Points

  VITICULTURE
  Opalie de Château Coutet comes from the quintessential parts of the Grand Cru vineyards, comprised of fruits selected from a few rows of 40-year-old vines that are planted in the thickest layers of clay and limestone in the estate’s soil. Along with the local climate, these conditions contribute significantly to the aromatic complexity of the wine. The fruit is harvested manually, using small baskets to collect and protect the matured berries prior to arriving at the cellar.
  VINIFICATION
  Château Coutet follows a traditional approach to winemaking, which is enhanced by the estate’s savoir-faire in selecting the perfect fruits. The distinguished flavor of the wine comes from combining in equal parts the body and depth of Sémillon with the elegance of Sauvignon Blanc. As a result, Opalie de Château Coutet is a memorable, elegant dry white wine with crisp mineral characteristics. True to its classic heritage, this wine is fermented and aged in French oak barrels.
  WEATHER CONDITIONS
  After an early bud burst, and a few nights fighting against the spring frost, the heavy rainfall in April and May
  allowed a rapid development of the vines. The dry summer limited the size of the berries, and made it possible to obtain homogeneous clusters rich in aromas. The traditional thunderstorms of 15 August brought the rain necessary to perfect the ripening of the grapes, under excellent conditions. Dry weather then set in until the start of the Opalie harvest on 27 August. The harvest of this exceptionally early vintage ended on 9 September.
  Monitoring the analytical parameters resulted in increasing in the proportion of the Sauvignon Blanc in the final blend, as well as limiting skin maceration and avoiding malolactic fermentation in order to preserve the freshness and minerality that constitute Opalie’s backbone
  .
  DATES DE VENDANGES 27 August to 9 September
  ASSEMBLAGE 33% Sémillon, 67% Sauvignon Blanc
  ELEVAGE 9 month in 100% French oak barrels
  MISE EN BOUTEILLES June 2021
  Source: Château website.
  
  Third bottle tried from a case. First was very forward and soft, the second fresher and tauter.
  Colour: light gold, bright, clear.
  Nose: v full, fresh, rounded, opulent almost, clear notes of this great property, led by the Sémillon;
  Taste: light/med body, rounded, a touch hot, good Sémillon notes lead, apricots, peaches, good acidity, long finish, dry yet again apricots and peaches.
  Overall, shows the clear lineage from the dessert wines. A very good wine.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.