Château Coutet
Château Coutet has a long and illustrious history and ranks among the finest sweet wines in the world. Its vineyards are some of the oldest in Barsac; established in 1643 by Charles le Guerin who was known as the Lord of Coutet. Thomas Jefferson commended it as ‘the best Sauternes in Barsac’, and in the 1855 classifications it was ranked as a First Growth. It was bought by the Baly family in 1977, who enlisted the help of the Rothschilds to aid Château Coutet’s worldwide distribution. Coutet’s winemaking team are now advised by those from Château Mouton, which, combined with its impressive terroir, is helping to build upon Coutet’s already impressive reputation. Château Coutet’s vines sit on clay and limestone soils, which retain water but not heat, and their ideal location between the Atlantic, the Garonne and the Ciron rivers work seamlessly to create the perfect conditions for the essential botrytis cinerea rot to set in and the harvest can take up to 40 days to ensure grapes are picked at their optimum sweetness.