Chartreuse de Coutet 2016 is the second wine of Château Coutet, the historic Barsac estate recognized as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in 1855. This 0.375L half bottle brings the refined sweet style of Coutet in an accessible format, with botrytized grapes from the same estate, 8 manual picking rounds, and 18 months of aging in French oak barriques.
Château Coutet is located in Barsac, within the famous Sauternes area, where mist, calcareous soils, and noble rot together form the basis for great sweet white Bordeaux.
• Location / Origin: Château Coutet is located in Barsac, an appellation within the Sauternes region. Barsac is known for a cooler terroir expression, which means the wines often retain a lot of freshness and tension.
• Climate & influences: The microclimate arises between the Garonne, the Ciron, and the forests of the Landes. Morning mist and warmer afternoons stimulate the development of Botrytis cinerea, while the grapes build their concentration.
• Soil: The soils around Château Coutet are clay-limestone and relatively cool. This slows down ripening and helps preserve the vibrant acidity, which is essential for balance in Sauternes.
• Vineyard & harvest: For the 2016 vintage, harvesting took place from September 30 to November 8. The harvest consisted of 8 consecutive manual picking rounds, selecting only grapes with the right concentration.
The vinification of Chartreuse de Coutet 2016 aligns with the classic working method of great Sauternes, with barrel fermentation and long aging in French oak.
• Harvest & selection: A team of 90 pickers brought in small quantities of grapes daily. This careful selection is consistent with working with noble rot, where not every bunch has the right concentration at the same time.
• Fermentation: Fermentation takes place in barriques. This gives the wine extra texture and ensures that the sweet richness is supported by structure from the very beginning.
• Aging / Oak aging: The wine ages for 18 months in 100% French oak barriques. This aging adds refined spice and roundness, without losing the fresh citrus and minerality from the 2016 vintage.
The blend of Chartreuse de Coutet 2016 follows the classic structure of Sauternes, with Sémillon as the main grape.
• 75% Sémillon – Barsac: Sémillon forms the broad base of the wine and provides volume, honeyed depth, and aging potential.
• 23% Sauvignon Blanc – Barsac: Sauvignon Blanc brings citrus, freshness, and extra tension to the blend.
• 2% Muscadelle – Barsac: Muscadelle adds a subtle floral touch and enhances the aromatic lift.
