Site and Terroir
Château Coutet is located in Barsac in the wine region Bordeaux and produces wines in connection with the Barsac and Sauternes appellations. Barsac is one of the coolest areas within these appellations. The cool terroir is linked with freshness and acidity in the wines; the Ciron forms part of the local terroir and creates conditions that favour Botrytis cinerea.
The roughly 38.5 hectares of vineyard area lie in relatively flat, contiguous plots. The soils consist of clay and limestone; a documented soil profile includes an alluvial, silty-sandy top layer, below which there is silt and red clay, as well as limestone at depth.
Vines and Viticulture
The vineyard is planted with around 75 % Sémillon, 23 % Sauvignon Blanc and 2 % Muscadelle. The average vine age is approximately 52 years, with individual vines around 80 years old. Planting density stands at 7,500 vines per hectare.
Château Coutet has used mass selection for more than 25 years and begins pruning from March in order to reduce the risk of spring frost. The estate does without green harvest and follows traditional pruning in Sauternes. The grapes for the sweet main wine are hand-harvested in several passes between September and November; the harvest lasts around 30 to 40 days.
Wines and Ageing
Château Coutet is the estate’s most important sweet white wine from Barsac and is classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification. La Chartreuse de Coutet is the estate’s second wine, a Sauternes from the same vineyard with a grape variety composition typical for the winery.
Opalie de Château Coutet is a dry white wine made from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, produced in small quantities from selected plots on clay-limestone soils. The grapes are hand-harvested into small crates. After pressing, fermentation and ageing take place in barriques; this process is also used for the harvested grapes from Château Coutet.
History
The history of Château Coutet as a wine-growing operation begins in 1643 with Charles Le Guérin. In 1855, the estate was added to the classified Premier Crus of Sauternes and Barsac. The Baly family acquired Château Coutet in 1977 and subsequently renewed the vineyards and buildings of the estate. The first vintage of Opalie de Château Coutet was produced in 2010.
