Château Coutet

Château Coutet is one of the oldest wine producing estates in the Barsac appellation, with its origins as an English fortress dating to the 13th century. Wine production at the site was first documented in 1643 when the property was acquired by Charles Le Guérin. In 1788, the estate was purchased by Gabriel Barthélémy Romain de Filhot and eventually passed to his grandson, the Marquis Romain Bertrand de Lur Saluces. For over a century, the property remained under the management of the Lur Saluces family, who also owned Château d'Yquem. The Baly family purchased the estate in 1977 and continues to own and manage it today under the leadership of Philippe and Aline Baly. Since 1994, the property has maintained a technical and commercial partnership with Baron Philippe de Rothschild S.A. for the global distribution of its wines.

The estate encompasses 38.5 hectares of vineyards situated on a distinct terroir of clay and limestone typical of the Barsac region. This limestone foundation provides a cooler soil temperature and contributes to the high acidity and freshness that characterize the wines of the property. The vineyard is planted with 75 percent Sémillon, 23 percent Sauvignon Blanc, and 2 percent Muscadelle. Harvesting is performed manually in several successive passes through the vineyard to select only the grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. The winemaking process involves fermentation in French oak barrels followed by 18 months of aging in wood, using a high proportion of new barrels to ensure complexity and structure.

Château Coutet was classified as a Premier Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 classification of Sauternes and Barsac. The estate is recognized for a style that emphasizes vivacity and tension, a characteristic reflected in its name, which is derived from the Gascon word for knife. The flagship sweet wine is the primary focus of production, while the property also produces a second label called La Chartreuse de Coutet. In exceptional vintages, the estate releases Cuvée Madame, a prestige selection made from the finest juice of the oldest vines. Additionally, the producer offers a dry white wine named Opalie de Château Coutet, which expresses the mineral character of the Barsac limestone soils through a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc.