3/7/2014 - burrac Likes this wine:

From a 750.
Day 1, not terribly distinct. Back end of a dinner party, so I may not have been paying enough attention. Put back in the fridge.
Day 2, not much movement. A little astringent even. I sort of wrote it off, and thought the astringency would only progress. It didn't.
Day 5, wow! The nose opened right up, with lovely floral aromas. Thick texture. Grilled pineapple to the fore. Not a ton of botrytis, but great balance. More reminiscent of the lovely 01 I tried a few years back, but not up to that great vintage.
From the JR note I read, plenty of tries given the estate and price, so for a modest vintage, a good effort. Overall, for what I paid at auction in the otherwise inflated Australian market, great value. Hold, or decant.

12/26/2013 - burrac wrote:

Fragrant, good acidity, nice wine. I suspect this will be better in a few more years.

12/26/2013 - burrac wrote:

Half bottle, auction buy, very high shoulder, tricky cork, with an extended opening sequence inspired if not aided by the Durand.

Strikingly mute on the nose. More interest on the palate, balanced like a good Sauternes, but quite thin and short.

Having just read aagrawal's recent note (whose notes I always read with interest), I suspect that this bottle was a bit tired, although it was not flawed in any way. I have one more bottle (alas same lot), and will check it out soon.

12/26/2013 - burrac Likes this wine:

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.

9/23/2013 - burrac wrote:

Since when did a good value wine become "a value"? This phrasing irritates me so. Is it grammatically correct? I want to track down the etymology of this use of the word. Anyway, this is good value wine.

Tasty wine, with nectarine and butterscotch flavours. Good weight and texture, ready to go now. The remaining 1/3, the next night after sitting in the fridge with no gas, definite oxidative notes, so drink up.

8/15/2013 - burrac Likes this wine:

A real surprise. Very much alive, with some toast and a decent texture. Someone from the winery said that there was a fair degree of variation at this point in the wines life, so this bottle really performed.

7/12/2013 - burrac wrote:

Very hard wine to pin down - day one is jumped around a lot, day two a little, but more consistent, and certainly more impressive. Day one I could not work it out, but overall it was ho hum. Day two, after 20 hours in the fridge, no gas, different story. Aromas of plum, mulberry and earth, with a palate to match. Reminded me a bit of a Groom shiraz (lovely), and Barossa more generally. It seemed like it would be best with a few more years yet, but then at random intervals would seem slightly oxidative. I just can't pin this wine down! But for the price, good stuff.

10/6/2011 - burrac wrote:

This has been a great value quaffer over the last few years. Lots of interest at the price. It may just be that this bottle has not been stored in ideal conditions (not terrible either though), but it was on the decline. Some nice flavours on the front palate, but a hole in the middle. I'd say drink up, or check if you have multiple bottles.

9/10/2011 - burrac wrote:

A little bit of action on the nose, but on the palate, not much happening. Drink up. Probably too late, if my bottle was indicative.

7/15/2011 - burrac wrote:

Sharp acidity and bitter lemons. Not enjoyable. Can't imagine it will get better.

6/18/2011 - burrac wrote:

I found this wine very drying and gangly. Not a very pleasant bottle.

6/18/2011 - burrac wrote:

Just a wonderful wine. Beautiful fruit and fantastic balance. Drinking very well at the moment.

6/10/2011 - burrac wrote:

Fascinating nose. Very good wine. Seemed a bit faint on opening, but then opened up, and stayed strong all evening. A little stalky, in a way that didn't rest entirely well with me on the night, but which I suspect in another context I could enjoy.

6/12/2011 - burrac Likes this wine:

Was drinking very nicely. Lovely blackberry flavours. This bottle was still holding together well.

5/26/2011 - burrac wrote:

Past it. Just drinkable. Murky colour, and a bit smelly. Very secondary flavours - beyond secondary? Girlfriend thought it slimy. I didn't find it that bad, but yes, perhaps a bit of pond slime. An interesting exercise in drinking a pinot that is past its prime. Was pleasant enough in its day.