Coutet castle

The castle Coutet , is a wine field located at Barsac in the Gironde. In AOC Barsac, it is classified first great wine in the official Classification of the wines of Bordeaux of 1855.

History of the field

Château Coutet is one of the oldest fields of Sauternais. Its construction goes back at the end of XIIIe or the beginning of XIVe century, as its tower testifies some to design similarire to that of the militaries establishments of the English occupation of Guyenne.

Another vestige of the time, a second round located in the vineyard, intended for the breeding of the pigeons and the peacocks by the Gascon lords.

At the beginning of XIIIe century, a considerable rehandling transforms the principal habituation. The accesses are embellished by a superb formal garden.

1794: at the sides of Yquem

In 1788, the field is acquired by Gabriel-Barthelemy-Romain de Filhot, chair Parliament of Bordeaux and already owner of Filhot Castle Sauternes.

In 1794, Mister de Filhot is guillotine and the property returns then to his/her small son, the Marquis Romain-Bertrand de Lur Saluces. Château Coutet côtoie thus celebrates it Château of Yquem, the Filhot Castle and of Trunk within a unit which makes to Marquis de Lur Saluces the largest liqueur-like wine producer white of the world.

In 1922, Château Coutet is repurchased by Louis Guy, manufacturer of hydraulic presses and wine material: this transaction means the separation of Castle of Yquem.

Since 1977: the property of the family Baly

Marcel Baly and his two sons, Philippe and Dominique Baly, acquire Château Coutet in 1977. Quickly, they decide to renovate the vineyard and the farm buildings.

Today, the quality of the wines testifies to completed work: Château Coutet remains one of best of Sauternes-Barsac name.

The soil

Château Coutet has an argillaceous reddish ground. The sand-gravel mix fines deposited by the Garonne or, according to the pieces, sands of wind contribution, rest on a calcareous basement.

Wine

The traditional type of vines of names Barsac and Sauternes compose the vineyard of Coutet Castle:

sémillon 75%
sauvignon white 23%
muscadelle 2%

Located near a small river, Ciron, Château Coutet profit largely from the fogs of autumn necessary to the proliferation of the mushroom Botrytis cinerea. This one causes a progressive concentration of the sugars contained in bays: it is celebrates it noble rot.

The gathering is carried out with the hand. Each bunch not reaching over-ripening at the same time, the grapes are collected in several passages: it is the collecting by sorting successive. Their number is variable according to the climatic conditions, of three at Sept.

The bays undergo three in a hurry verticals; must be cleansed during twenty hours at low temperatures and are placed, for alcoholic fermentation, in barrels (new at 100%). A balance is required between the alcoholic strength (in the neighborhoods of 14% of volume) and the quantity of residual sugars (approximately 80 grams of sugar per liter).

The breeding proceeds during one year and half in wine storehouse which profit from a lenient and constant temperature.

Years

Vineyard of Barsac

External bond

Official site of Coutet