Wow. This puppy is holding on beautifully. Deep amber color. Gorgeous nose of botrytis and lavender. Rich and mature with a lovely balancing acidity. Caramel. Yum. (94)
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Dinner with Herwig (Heirloom Cafe, SF): Golden-orange color, great for its age; aromatic, orange blossom, white flowers, citrus peel, slight honey; palate is medium bodied, sweet but balanced by exceptional medium-plus acidity which counterbalances the sweetness until it is barely perceptible through the midpalate, clean palate throughout with some orange blossom, floral, citrus rind; finish is medium length, clean, balanced, and refreshing. Consistent with my last bottle 4+ years ago, this has classic Coutet balance with prominent acidity balancing the sweetness, Barsac-classic florals and orange blossom, not showing any of the caramel but certainly showing some maturity, not reaching otherworldly complexity but a very solid enjoyable sauternes which will age for another decade or two without problems. 92
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This was close to WOTN. Clear amber colour, no ullage so great bottle. Light marmalade, tinned apricots, caramel notes and still a wine with acidity and definition at 47 years of age - truly remarkable. A truly great nose with waft after waft of fruit essence and then the freshness of the palate and perfect balance of the body of the wine. A bottle shared with 16 people but what an experience.
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Rusty brown in colour. Marmalade on the nose and bitter orange flavours on the palate, displaying only a little of the wine’s original fruit sweetness. Still a remarkable drink.
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Hooray- Boys dinner back on at La Luna. Despite very poor efforts from Fatsie and Kim Jon Il's failure to turn up , we welcomed back Cliffy from 12.5 years wandering walkabout in far west Australia and Young Sam to the group who for me , got WOTN on his first attempt. Therefore Young Kim Jon Il is out... out...out...Fatsie may re- apply but he is borderline for future attendance acceptance
Anyway here is the lists of wines and the scores ( everything was fantastic) and Yodamarks avid followers, junior palates and proteges can venture to them in the search function for specific reviews and other bombastic pontificating ( just for you Cliffy) comments.
2007 Brokenwood ILR semillon - 96 pts 2018 Giaconda Chardonnay - 97 pts 2018 Laroche Chablis Premier Cr - 95+ pts 2011 Yarra Yering Pinot - 95 pts ( Nice try Grandpa Greg but the other two pinots were just as good so no win for you tonight) 2008 Rossignol Volnay PC - 95 pts 2004 Bindi block 5 - 96 pts 1969 Tyrrells Vat 10 - 97 pts 1989 Brokenwood Cab Shiraz - 96 pts 1999 Rockford Helbig - 100 pts 2007 Standish Relic - 97 pts 1997 Yarra Yarra Reserve Cab - 96 pts 2005 Penfolds St Henri - 95 pts 1975 Chateau Coutet ( this wine ) - 94 pts
so this Coutet ( from Yodamarks cellar) was in excellent condition, base of neck. just a tad of metallic shortness but it certainly improved with time. lovely apricots and marmalade on the nose after a few minutes of pong first. After 20 minutes a lovely salty tang on the back palate with a hint of chlorine. ready to go but will hold , was superb but yet scored the lowest for me on the night. Which showed the quality of the wines consumed . Everything was amazing. Thanks for a great night Gents
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One of the best Coutet I’ve had. Orange peel and toffee notes, leading to a full, rich palate. Perfect acidity to carry it along, and a pleasant hint (and just a hint) of bitterness to round it out. Very balanced. Perfect right now, and will decline gracefully from here. No rush, but why wait?
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golden amber - amazing nose of caramel, orange peel, earth and flowers (honeysuckle); good body and just the right balance of acidity to sweetness - did not detect the mid-palate bitterness that some other notes mention - long lingering 30 sec finish - a fully mature Barsac that is probably at its best now after 45 years, but expect this will last at least to the 50 year mark when I plan to drink my last bottle
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Slight nose, caramel, peach, and butterscotch. Tastes of orange marmalade, ripe peach, with a caramelized finish that keeps on going. Simply fantastic.
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WELL! I can't seem to find anyone who appreciates AMAZING Sauternes. Seriously. It's just impossible. I opened this bottle one month ago for a tasting, then kept is in the fridge for ONE MONTH, then finally drank it for NY Eve. It's perfect! Four decades+ Orange Marmalade, slightly aromatic. After warming from the fridge, it exudes all sorts of amber peach, almost distilled flavors. But good Lord, if I found one other person to enjoy it, that was a miracle! I truly appreciate the hard work that was invested in this beautiful vino.
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Dinner with Mike Grammer (Francisca's (3047 Mission St)): Cork removed with Durand easily. Golden-orange, no hint of copper so light for its age; moderately aromatic, honey, minerals, orange peel; medium bodied, nice core of acidity and freshness, orange blossom, twang of tartness in the midpalate (which is nice) which transitions to just a bit of bitterness and grapefruit rind; finish is medium length with more pith than fruit. The palate is better than the nose, fresh and interesting, and certainly enjoyable. A thoughtful sauternes, at maturity but still has time ahead. Hasn't changed since my last taste in 2010. 92 Day 2: Just as good. This has held up nicely and likely still has a decade or more of life ahead, though drinking at maturity now.
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Very young and very fresh, but without a whole lot of complexity, alas. Very pleasant but just that... pleasant - rather than engaging as many a mature Sauternes/Barsac can be.
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Dark golden caramel. Color was a bit worrisome but fears went away as the first sniff came along. Toasty apple pie, honeycomb, wax. Mature, viscous, sticky. Well balanced sugar and acid. Fading sweetness, it's actually turning savory. Finish lingers for a few seconds. Not the best 75 I've had but delicious. Very enjoyable.
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Light yellow. Nose shows tropical fruits: pineapple, guava, mango. Viscous and syrupy. Well balanced sweetness with nice acidity. Treacle, caramel tones with a very long finish.
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An OUTSTANDING Thanksgiving desert wine that shared the job of 4 decades of family together. Marmalade orange and peach all mixed into a delightful concoction.
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Had kind of off smell to it despite the marzipan sweetness. Kind of like a funky mango smell that rendered it undrinkable for me. I decanted and put into the fridge and when the smell didn't blow off ended up using it in some fever tree ginger and vodka cocktails with orange, lemon and ginger slices that were actually pretty unstoppable.
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Dark gold; burnt apricot pie crust, medium bodied, nice old sticky with fading sweetness. Compared with Chalk Hill Late Harvest Semillon. Renee France vs. CA tasting.
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Color: moderately deep gold; excellent viscosity. Refined but somewhat restrained bouquet that with coaxing demonstrated peaches, marmalade, honey and a little toffee. Palate definitively Barsac; light and racy and quite feminine. Peaches again with caramel and orange zest. Still moderately sweet which is quite nice and still with good acidity and a moderately long finish. This could use a bit more concentration and botrytis to my mind but remains quite the vibrant and enjoyable Barsac.
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Nov 21st 2015 "Getting the Band back Together" Tasting at Adam's (Phredd's Casa): I brought this one to finish out the night. Honey and clementine with some marzipan and burnt sugar notes. This bottle was a bit "thinner" than I recalled; bottle variation is probably to be expected after 40 years but I thought it was holding up well. Overall evaluation: A.
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Light golden orange color. Has an odd austere/sharp funky aroma but there's honeyed stone fruit qualities underneath. Much better on the palate however. Flavors of honey, persimmon, marmalade, apricot and ripe stone fruit with a lengthy finish. Thanks, tlv!
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Opened at Anvil for Allred's birthday. This tasted much better than it smelled. A definite off-putting funk on the nose. The palate though showed lovely apricot and pineapple. I don't know if this was flawed or just over the hill. NR
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Dessert wines for Harry's 41st, tasted the 1975 alongside the 1997 which was very interesting. In comparison, the '75 has lost much of the tropical "youthful" notes but was pure honey goodness with a touch of oxidation nuttiness and spice. A thinner texture than the '97 but still nice acidity and the oxidative notes added some structure too. I can't really describe it, it was more of an experience (see 3/22/2015 note as well).
The 97 was great as well, more primary tropical notes but plenty of honey-brown sugar-vanilla sweetness and a really nice integration between the acid and sugar. Definitely enjoyed comparing the the two Coutet at ~20 and 40 years of age!
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Angus Barn, watching NC State defeat Villanova in the 2015 NCAA tournament. Beautiful coppery-red color- I uploaded the pic of the glass and decanter in the label images; it was too beautiful not to share though I should have staged the bottle in the pic. Candied orange, light apricot marmalade, and honey with hints of pineapple, apricot creme brûlée, and some baked honey-ginger spiced-brown sugar from aging. The acidity was still on point and while the flavors were more subtle than a younger Sauternes, everything was well integrated and the smoother acid edge allowed for a seamless transition across the palate. Plenty of length on the finish and surprising palate development for 39 years. $80 for the 750 mL and a solid A+ overall rating.
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Ex-Harris cellar. Light amber colour. This has a very juicy nose, with lots of peach notes, as well as a lovely fresh tangerine peel aroma. The palate on this is simply incredible though. It's very difficult to believe this is almost forty years old; there's so much freshness and verve to it still. There's the expected marmalade, but also something that evokes Indian mango chutney (spices and all). The back end is where the age shows a little bit, with some mushroomy flavours on the finish. The raciness that I associate with Barsac is very prominent. Excellent. As an aside, this is the second bottle I've tasted in as many months (I do not know the provenance of the first bottle). The bitterness that I noted in my previous note isn't as prominent here -- this bottle feels much more focused on fruit and spice than bitter orange.
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HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Interesting nose with hints of tar, and a good dose of apricot, petrichor, and pineapple. The palate is gorgeous. Crisp, clean, and pure this is all about the pineapples, mangos, and peaches. Just bursting with tropical fruits. Smooth as silk and tastes delicious.
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HDH auction tasting at Tru; 6/27/2014-6/28/2014 (Chicago, IL): Moderate golden colour. A bit of burnt rubber and sulphur on the nose, but besides that, there is that classic note of marmalade. The palate is where this really shines through, where it feels like you've been smacked with a giant jar of bitter orange marmalade. Only of moderate sweetness, it's the bitterness that keeps this bottle together. Very nice.
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Sampled 1/20/12. Honey color. Apricot marmalade, canned peaches, not syrupy but a good dose of botryis and glycerine. Not particularly complex but an excellent example of how great the 1975 vintage was for Sauternes / Barsac
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Bordeaux Night - 10 years and Older (Zeffir, Dunlop Street): This was pretty nice. It was unfortunately placed alongside a brilliant 1983 Rieussec on the same flight which made for a hard fight, but otherwise, this would have been a pretty good wine in its own right. The nose was not all that expressive, showing subtle scents of honey amd caramel, earth and mineral and a bit of spice. I thought the palate was rather better. It showed the clean, fresh acidity that it very typical of Coutet running through bright flavours ranging from tangerines, to apricots and apples topped off with honeyed sweetness. The finish was not the most authoritative, but it did have nice length with fresh, lemony citrus lift and a streak of slightly metally mineral. Overall, a very nice if not overly impressive Barsac.
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The strawberry season is here in England - so what to try with magnifcent berries fresh from the garden - one of my classic old sauternes - in a half bt.
This is an old dowager - bright and glowing with golden colour - a rich nutty nose - then lean but full of taste.
Nicely dominates the strawberries and cream - and at its best when finishing off on its own afterwards.
Recently tasted the 2007 Coutet - doubt that will have the length over time.
Pity that was the last Bt - so on to others - Rieussec next
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From magnum. The wine is still excellent, although losing a bit of its sweetness. The color is dark gold. The flavors are orange, apricot and toffee. Still holding together just fine and well stored bottles will be drinking well for another 10 years. Paired very well with oysters. Yes, oysters. Done at the suggestion of Chris Koetke, dean of the culinary school at Kendall College.
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First Growth Dinner (plus some La Mission) (Ruths Chris - Washington, DC): Sadly, this was tasted alongside an incredible Dal Forno Nettare Veneto IGT that stole the show. Despite its company, this was a very enjoyable Sauternes. Great freshness on the palate with lovely apricot and peach juice on the palate. The fresh juiciness was augmented by a great acidic backbone. Thought this was drinking incredibly well...god, aged Sauternes is so satisfying!
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The Other Great French Blancs: Champagne and Sauternes (Wink Restaurant, Austin, Texas): A surprisingly good wine that had a strange cross between cognac and spice on the nose, with some petrol and burnt rubber. Very pleasant, it was not as sweet as the other Sauternes, had a deep orange, apricot color, and had medium acidity. After a few minutes it gained some balance and notes of candied orange, caramel, pear, nuts, apple peel, smoky apricot, and creamy/stinky cheese. One taster described the Coutet as spiced Christmas orange tea with honey and flowers, another “a museum piece, still pleasant with almost brandy-like acetate. Interesting.
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Caramel, some candied orange peel, hint of citrus. Palate has great balance, a few layers of complexity. Finish is just a tad austere. Overall, this wine is defined by its ever-present acidity and subtle flavors, but it lacks the over-the-top complexity that would rank it as one of the best. One of the oldest Sauternes that I've tried, and it's excellent.
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Very correct and pleasurable though a touch austere in structure. More minerally than any aged Sauternes I've ever had. Tasted some abour 14 hours later that had been left in a glass overnight and it was much more like one would expect, very elegant and caramelly, so perhaps decanting is in order for this wine. Before tasting that I would have judged that this wine was in decline but now I'm not so sure. Still great with foie gras with assortment of blue cheese, apple compote, and caramelized onions.
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While visiting my aunt in Arles we shared this lovely wine with dessert of fig tart that she had made that day. It was a match made in heaven...the wine seemed to last all night as we sipped slowly and enjoyed its deep complexity
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Same lot of leaky half bottles, but showed really well. Balanced, integrated, with citrus and caramel flavors. This is more proof that you have to let wines sit for at least 6 months after shipment. Would love to try a full bottle.
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From a compromised half bottle (leakage), this was not a dissapointment. Complete, with mature citrus fruit sauteed in brown sugar. Nice flavor profile, decent finish. Can't wait to try this from a full bottle.
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Took this with us to the "Sweets and Bubblies" Vaniacs Christmas offline. I don't have real tasting notes, but it was really spectacular. After 32 years it was still holding up beautifully and I'm sure it could have gone another 10.
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9/15/2023 - IWFS DC Likes this wine:
IWFS September 2023 dinner, dessert course.
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7/8/2023 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Wow. This puppy is holding on beautifully. Deep amber color. Gorgeous nose of botrytis and lavender. Rich and mature with a lovely balancing acidity. Caramel. Yum. (94)
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1/10/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Herwig (Heirloom Cafe, SF): Golden-orange color, great for its age; aromatic, orange blossom, white flowers, citrus peel, slight honey; palate is medium bodied, sweet but balanced by exceptional medium-plus acidity which counterbalances the sweetness until it is barely perceptible through the midpalate, clean palate throughout with some orange blossom, floral, citrus rind; finish is medium length, clean, balanced, and refreshing. Consistent with my last bottle 4+ years ago, this has classic Coutet balance with prominent acidity balancing the sweetness, Barsac-classic florals and orange blossom, not showing any of the caramel but certainly showing some maturity, not reaching otherworldly complexity but a very solid enjoyable sauternes which will age for another decade or two without problems. 92
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6/20/2022 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very delicious. Great sweetness and length
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3/25/2022 - crazywineguy Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was close to WOTN. Clear amber colour, no ullage so great bottle. Light marmalade, tinned apricots, caramel notes and still a wine with acidity and definition at 47 years of age - truly remarkable. A truly great nose with waft after waft of fruit essence and then the freshness of the palate and perfect balance of the body of the wine. A bottle shared with 16 people but what an experience.
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1/22/2022 - Silenus44 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rusty brown in colour. Marmalade on the nose and bitter orange flavours on the palate, displaying only a little of the wine’s original fruit sweetness. Still a remarkable drink.
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11/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hooray- Boys dinner back on at La Luna. Despite very poor efforts from Fatsie and Kim Jon Il's failure to turn up , we welcomed back Cliffy from 12.5 years wandering walkabout in far west Australia and Young Sam to the group who for me , got WOTN on his first attempt. Therefore Young Kim Jon Il is out... out...out...Fatsie may re- apply but he is borderline for future attendance acceptance
Anyway here is the lists of wines and the scores ( everything was fantastic) and Yodamarks avid followers, junior palates and proteges can venture to them in the search function for specific reviews and other bombastic pontificating ( just for you Cliffy) comments.
2007 Brokenwood ILR semillon - 96 pts
2018 Giaconda Chardonnay - 97 pts
2018 Laroche Chablis Premier Cr - 95+ pts
2011 Yarra Yering Pinot - 95 pts ( Nice try Grandpa Greg but the other two pinots were just as good so no win for you tonight)
2008 Rossignol Volnay PC - 95 pts
2004 Bindi block 5 - 96 pts
1969 Tyrrells Vat 10 - 97 pts
1989 Brokenwood Cab Shiraz - 96 pts
1999 Rockford Helbig - 100 pts
2007 Standish Relic - 97 pts
1997 Yarra Yarra Reserve Cab - 96 pts
2005 Penfolds St Henri - 95 pts
1975 Chateau Coutet ( this wine ) - 94 pts
so this Coutet ( from Yodamarks cellar) was in excellent condition, base of neck. just a tad of metallic shortness but it certainly improved with time. lovely apricots and marmalade on the nose after a few minutes of pong first. After 20 minutes a lovely salty tang on the back palate with a hint of chlorine. ready to go but will hold , was superb but yet scored the lowest for me on the night. Which showed the quality of the wines consumed . Everything was amazing. Thanks for a great night Gents
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11/2/2021 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 92 Points
By the glass at Noble Rot Lamb's Conduit Street. In superb condition. This will continue to age beautifully.
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10/6/2021 - smenzies wrote: 92 Points
Magnificent .. and for its age holding up beautifully
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11/4/2020 - Formerwinemaker Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the best Coutet I’ve had. Orange peel and toffee notes, leading to a full, rich palate. Perfect acidity to carry it along, and a pleasant hint (and just a hint) of bitterness to round it out. Very balanced. Perfect right now, and will decline gracefully from here. No rush, but why wait?
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10/28/2020 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly fresh nose (B++). Outstanding palate (B++/A-)
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10/4/2020 - Verb Likes this wine: 95 Points
golden amber - amazing nose of caramel, orange peel, earth and flowers (honeysuckle); good body and just the right balance of acidity to sweetness - did not detect the mid-palate bitterness that some other notes mention - long lingering 30 sec finish - a fully mature Barsac that is probably at its best now after 45 years, but expect this will last at least to the 50 year mark when I plan to drink my last bottle
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4/20/2020 - Jason M. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slight nose, caramel, peach, and butterscotch. Tastes of orange marmalade, ripe peach, with a caramelized finish that keeps on going. Simply fantastic.
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1/1/2019 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
WELL! I can't seem to find anyone who appreciates AMAZING Sauternes. Seriously. It's just impossible. I opened this bottle one month ago for a tasting, then kept is in the fridge for ONE MONTH, then finally drank it for NY Eve. It's perfect! Four decades+ Orange Marmalade, slightly aromatic. After warming from the fridge, it exudes all sorts of amber peach, almost distilled flavors. But good Lord, if I found one other person to enjoy it, that was a miracle! I truly appreciate the hard work that was invested in this beautiful vino.
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7/14/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Mike Grammer (Francisca's (3047 Mission St)): Cork removed with Durand easily. Golden-orange, no hint of copper so light for its age; moderately aromatic, honey, minerals, orange peel; medium bodied, nice core of acidity and freshness, orange blossom, twang of tartness in the midpalate (which is nice) which transitions to just a bit of bitterness and grapefruit rind; finish is medium length with more pith than fruit. The palate is better than the nose, fresh and interesting, and certainly enjoyable. A thoughtful sauternes, at maturity but still has time ahead. Hasn't changed since my last taste in 2010. 92
Day 2: Just as good. This has held up nicely and likely still has a decade or more of life ahead, though drinking at maturity now.
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6/10/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
Very young and very fresh, but without a whole lot of complexity, alas. Very pleasant but just that... pleasant - rather than engaging as many a mature Sauternes/Barsac can be.
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8/22/2017 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
Definitely past its prime, but still an excellent Sauternes. Decent nose (B+/B++), Excellent palate, but the finish is a little bit bitter (B+/B++).
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8/20/2017 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark golden caramel. Color was a bit worrisome but fears went away as the first sniff came along. Toasty apple pie, honeycomb, wax. Mature, viscous, sticky. Well balanced sugar and acid. Fading sweetness, it's actually turning savory. Finish lingers for a few seconds. Not the best 75 I've had but delicious. Very enjoyable.
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3/25/2017 - ekessler wrote:
Light yellow. Nose shows tropical fruits: pineapple, guava, mango. Viscous and syrupy. Well balanced sweetness with nice acidity. Treacle, caramel tones with a very long finish.
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11/24/2016 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
An OUTSTANDING Thanksgiving desert wine that shared the job of 4 decades of family together. Marmalade orange and peach all mixed into a delightful concoction.
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10/24/2016 - Vintage82 wrote:
Had kind of off smell to it despite the marzipan sweetness. Kind of like a funky mango smell that rendered it undrinkable for me. I decanted and put into the fridge and when the smell didn't blow off ended up using it in some fever tree ginger and vodka cocktails with orange, lemon and ginger slices that were actually pretty unstoppable.
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10/22/2016 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Dark gold; burnt apricot pie crust, medium bodied, nice old sticky with fading sweetness.
Compared with Chalk Hill Late Harvest Semillon. Renee France vs. CA tasting.
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11/27/2015 - BVal wrote: 91 Points
Thanksgiving wine #4.
Color: moderately deep gold; excellent viscosity. Refined but somewhat restrained bouquet that with coaxing demonstrated peaches, marmalade, honey and a little toffee. Palate definitively Barsac; light and racy and quite feminine. Peaches again with caramel and orange zest. Still moderately sweet which is quite nice and still with good acidity and a moderately long finish. This could use a bit more concentration and botrytis to my mind but remains quite the vibrant and enjoyable Barsac.
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11/21/2015 - WineKnurd Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nov 21st 2015 "Getting the Band back Together" Tasting at Adam's (Phredd's Casa): I brought this one to finish out the night. Honey and clementine with some marzipan and burnt sugar notes. This bottle was a bit "thinner" than I recalled; bottle variation is probably to be expected after 40 years but I thought it was holding up well. Overall evaluation: A.
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7/21/2015 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Light golden orange color. Has an odd austere/sharp funky aroma but there's honeyed stone fruit qualities underneath. Much better on the palate however. Flavors of honey, persimmon, marmalade, apricot and ripe stone fruit with a lengthy finish. Thanks, tlv!
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7/21/2015 - thelostverse wrote:
Opened at Anvil for Allred's birthday. This tasted much better than it smelled. A definite off-putting funk on the nose. The palate though showed lovely apricot and pineapple. I don't know if this was flawed or just over the hill. NR
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6/13/2015 - WineKnurd Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dessert wines for Harry's 41st, tasted the 1975 alongside the 1997 which was very interesting. In comparison, the '75 has lost much of the tropical "youthful" notes but was pure honey goodness with a touch of oxidation nuttiness and spice. A thinner texture than the '97 but still nice acidity and the oxidative notes added some structure too. I can't really describe it, it was more of an experience (see 3/22/2015 note as well).
The 97 was great as well, more primary tropical notes but plenty of honey-brown sugar-vanilla sweetness and a really nice integration between the acid and sugar. Definitely enjoyed comparing the the two Coutet at ~20 and 40 years of age!
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3/22/2015 - WineKnurd Likes this wine: 97 Points
Angus Barn, watching NC State defeat Villanova in the 2015 NCAA tournament. Beautiful coppery-red color- I uploaded the pic of the glass and decanter in the label images; it was too beautiful not to share though I should have staged the bottle in the pic. Candied orange, light apricot marmalade, and honey with hints of pineapple, apricot creme brûlée, and some baked honey-ginger spiced-brown sugar from aging. The acidity was still on point and while the flavors were more subtle than a younger Sauternes, everything was well integrated and the smoother acid edge allowed for a seamless transition across the palate. Plenty of length on the finish and surprising palate development for 39 years. $80 for the 750 mL and a solid A+ overall rating.
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9/19/2014 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston III - the Weekend; 9/18/2014-9/20/2014 (Charleston SC - various locations incl. Red Drum, Halls, Circa 1886, and Kings Courtyard Inn): Poured from a mag. Wine was in a great place. Really long finish, still had excellent balancing acidity, paired great with a bourbon bread pudding with sour cherries. Just delicious!
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7/26/2014 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Ex-Harris cellar. Light amber colour. This has a very juicy nose, with lots of peach notes, as well as a lovely fresh tangerine peel aroma. The palate on this is simply incredible though. It's very difficult to believe this is almost forty years old; there's so much freshness and verve to it still. There's the expected marmalade, but also something that evokes Indian mango chutney (spices and all). The back end is where the age shows a little bit, with some mushroomy flavours on the finish. The raciness that I associate with Barsac is very prominent. Excellent. As an aside, this is the second bottle I've tasted in as many months (I do not know the provenance of the first bottle). The bitterness that I noted in my previous note isn't as prominent here -- this bottle feels much more focused on fruit and spice than bitter orange.
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6/27/2014 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago, IL): Interesting nose with hints of tar, and a good dose of apricot, petrichor, and pineapple. The palate is gorgeous. Crisp, clean, and pure this is all about the pineapples, mangos, and peaches. Just bursting with tropical fruits. Smooth as silk and tastes delicious.
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6/27/2014 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
HDH auction tasting at Tru; 6/27/2014-6/28/2014 (Chicago, IL): Moderate golden colour. A bit of burnt rubber and sulphur on the nose, but besides that, there is that classic note of marmalade. The palate is where this really shines through, where it feels like you've been smacked with a giant jar of bitter orange marmalade. Only of moderate sweetness, it's the bitterness that keeps this bottle together. Very nice.
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5/9/2014 - Aenie wrote: 96 Points
Perfume , honey , white flower , clean and clear. In mouth sweet smart , complex , gentle.
Sauterne vintage 1975 is superb
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6/29/2013 - MC wrote:
Very pleasant with cheese. Just a little thin, and not the strongest finish, but for the price this is a very good wine. B+/A-
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1/21/2012 - mxpbuy wrote: 91 Points
Sampled 1/20/12. Honey color. Apricot marmalade, canned peaches, not syrupy but a good dose of botryis and glycerine. Not particularly complex but an excellent example of how great the 1975 vintage was for Sauternes / Barsac
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1/11/2012 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux Night - 10 years and Older (Zeffir, Dunlop Street): This was pretty nice. It was unfortunately placed alongside a brilliant 1983 Rieussec on the same flight which made for a hard fight, but otherwise, this would have been a pretty good wine in its own right. The nose was not all that expressive, showing subtle scents of honey amd caramel, earth and mineral and a bit of spice. I thought the palate was rather better. It showed the clean, fresh acidity that it very typical of Coutet running through bright flavours ranging from tangerines, to apricots and apples topped off with honeyed sweetness. The finish was not the most authoritative, but it did have nice length with fresh, lemony citrus lift and a streak of slightly metally mineral. Overall, a very nice if not overly impressive Barsac.
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9/6/2011 - gasman wrote: 86 Points
- Yellow brown color and aromas of kerosene, apricot and hazelnut and has flavours of kerosene, strawberry jam, apricot, hazelnut and cloves.
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6/5/2011 - Old Gent wrote: 84 Points
The strawberry season is here in England - so what to try with magnifcent berries fresh from the garden - one of my classic old sauternes - in a half bt.
This is an old dowager - bright and glowing with golden colour - a rich nutty nose - then lean but full of taste.
Nicely dominates the strawberries and cream - and at its best when finishing off on its own afterwards.
Recently tasted the 2007 Coutet - doubt that will have the length over time.
Pity that was the last Bt - so on to others - Rieussec next
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4/6/2011 - Border Boss wrote: 90 Points
From magnum. The wine is still excellent, although losing a bit of its sweetness. The color is dark gold. The flavors are orange, apricot and toffee. Still holding together just fine and well stored bottles will be drinking well for another 10 years. Paired very well with oysters. Yes, oysters. Done at the suggestion of Chris Koetke, dean of the culinary school at Kendall College.
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2/17/2011 - Rupert wrote:
Neal Martin's 40th - La Paulée de KFC (The Ledbury, London): Leathery, dry, herby fruit, good focus, yummy
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2/15/2011 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
First Growth Dinner (plus some La Mission) (Ruths Chris - Washington, DC): Sadly, this was tasted alongside an incredible Dal Forno Nettare Veneto IGT that stole the show. Despite its company, this was a very enjoyable Sauternes. Great freshness on the palate with lovely apricot and peach juice on the palate. The fresh juiciness was augmented by a great acidic backbone. Thought this was drinking incredibly well...god, aged Sauternes is so satisfying!
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12/12/2010 - austinwinesalon wrote:
The Other Great French Blancs: Champagne and Sauternes (Wink Restaurant, Austin, Texas): A surprisingly good wine that had a strange cross between cognac and spice on the nose, with some petrol and burnt rubber. Very pleasant, it was not as sweet as the other Sauternes, had a deep orange, apricot color, and had medium acidity. After a few minutes it gained some balance and notes of candied orange, caramel, pear, nuts, apple peel, smoky apricot, and creamy/stinky cheese. One taster described the Coutet as spiced Christmas orange tea with honey and flowers, another “a museum piece, still pleasant with almost brandy-like acetate. Interesting.
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9/3/2010 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Caramel, some candied orange peel, hint of citrus. Palate has great balance, a few layers of complexity. Finish is just a tad austere. Overall, this wine is defined by its ever-present acidity and subtle flavors, but it lacks the over-the-top complexity that would rank it as one of the best. One of the oldest Sauternes that I've tried, and it's excellent.
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7/4/2009 - rarewineman wrote: 90 Points
FADING NOSE WITH TOFFEE ORANGES BUTTERED WAFFLES AND BALANCED ACIDS THAT MADE A WINNER. GREAT PALLET WITH WEAKISH NOSE. LONG FINISH. 90 PTS
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6/19/2009 - thirtyoneknots wrote:
Very correct and pleasurable though a touch austere in structure. More minerally than any aged Sauternes I've ever had. Tasted some abour 14 hours later that had been left in a glass overnight and it was much more like one would expect, very elegant and caramelly, so perhaps decanting is in order for this wine. Before tasting that I would have judged that this wine was in decline but now I'm not so sure. Still great with foie gras with assortment of blue cheese, apple compote, and caramelized onions.
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6/14/2009 - MC wrote:
Very nice, elegant. Should hold for a bit, but best to drink now. B+
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5/23/2009 - CraigWS wrote: 94 Points
While visiting my aunt in Arles we shared this lovely wine with dessert of fig tart that she had made that day. It was a match made in heaven...the wine seemed to last all night as we sipped slowly and enjoyed its deep complexity
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11/8/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 90 Points
Same lot of leaky half bottles, but showed really well. Balanced, integrated, with citrus and caramel flavors. This is more proof that you have to let wines sit for at least 6 months after shipment. Would love to try a full bottle.
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9/27/2008 - ginfizz wrote: 88 Points
From a compromised half bottle (leakage), this was not a dissapointment. Complete, with mature citrus fruit sauteed in brown sugar. Nice flavor profile, decent finish. Can't wait to try this from a full bottle.
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12/31/2007 - John David wrote: 95 Points
Mais Oui! Magnifique- tres bon! With many fereinds at New Years in Aix en Provence Bistro
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12/15/2007 - JeffnCin wrote:
Took this with us to the "Sweets and Bubblies" Vaniacs Christmas offline. I don't have real tasting notes, but it was really spectacular. After 32 years it was still holding up beautifully and I'm sure it could have gone another 10.
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7/14/2003 - Eric wrote: 88 Points
Seattle offline at Daniel's Broiler (Seattle, WA, USA): Caramel, some nail polish, very syrupy. Enjoyable.
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