Château Coutet Masterclass with Aline Baly

TCWC presents a Château Coutet Masterclass with Aline Baly

• 2010 Château Coutet Opalie Sec 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Tasted at a “Château Coutet Masterclass” with Aline Baly. Pale color with a hint of gold. Forward floral nose dominated by scents of pollen, with underlying aromas of unsalted butter and saline minerality reflective of the limestone/clay soil at the site. The palate is razor-sharp, with crisp green apple and white pepper flavors. The finish is persistent with firm acids and a pulsating mineral note that becomes even more austere as the wine aerates and warms up. Concentrated, crisp wine that should mature for at least a decade, given the ample structural support.

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• 2010 Château Coutet Barsac 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Tasted at a “Château Coutet Masterclass” with Aline Baly. Medium-light gold color. Musty nose with smoky ash aromas and a hint of citrus fruit. The palate is very zesty, encompassing a peppery grapefruit flavor. Bright, persistent acidity on the finish. This is pleasant now but will be worth revisiting in 5+ years once everything has mellowed a bit.

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• 2005 Château Coutet Barsac 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Tasted at a “Château Coutet Masterclass” with Aline Baly. Pale gold color. Meaty nose of honeysuckle, greenery and mint. The flavor profile of this is faintly peppery and a bit muted overall, with a long but lean finish and sedate acidity. This vintage is meant to be a classic for Barsac/Sauternes, but I’m not convinced based on this example.

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• 2004 Château Coutet Barsac 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Tasted at a “Château Coutet Masterclass” with Aline Baly. Darker, solid gold color. Very fresh nose of ginger and spice, with a faint smoky musty note and a layer of piquant acetone at the end. The sappy palate is well concentrated, with honey flavors punctuated by a sharp cutting mineral taste and solid underlying acids. This finishes hot and a bit tart; it needs time to integrate more fully but shows promisingly now. The standout of the tasting, in my opinion.

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• 1998 Château Coutet Barsac 86 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Tasted at a “Château Coutet Masterclass” with Aline Baly. Medium gold color, trending towards pale at the rim. Airy, sweet nose of pavlova, or angel food cake with vanilla frosting. Somewhat tired tasting, without very much fruit on the palate. Light bodied with clean minerality and just a hint of orange marmalade. Faintest twinge of acid, but not much there. Seems past its prime.

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• 1997 Château Coutet Barsac 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Barsac

  Tasted at a “Château Coutet Masterclass” with Aline Baly. Medium-dark gold color. Bold honey aromas with spicy nutmeg accents. Also, the unmistakable (and delightful) aroma of Swedish Fish. Round palate of dried apricot and spicy grapefruit. Long finish, with the acids tasting somewhat grainy or chewy. This was texturally distinct from the rest of the wines tasted, not in a bad way. Still a decade left on this one at the least.

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