Château Coutet 2017 Barsac

The nose offers great complexity with notes of citrus (lime, lemon), ginger, and apricot, but also white flowers. On the palate, the attack is of a beautiful liveliness with a remarkable aromatic freshness. The crisp and generous character is highlighted by citrus and orange essence. The mid-palate is full, and keeps a nice full-bodied texture. The wine offers a nice balance with the minerality that comes through and its freshness lengthens the wine for a long finish.

"This wine shows great balance and poised elegance. Its botrytis fruit gives it rich intensity, with a ripe orange-marmalade flavor and layers of tight acidity. This will be a wine for serious aging and not ready to drink before 2024." 97 points, Wine Enthusiast

"Wow. Fabulous focus and intensity to this wine with energetic sweetness and long, linear quality through the center palate. Orange-peel, lemon and peach undertones. Fresh finish. Drink or hold." 96 points, James Suckling

"This is youthfully packed, with a green tea accent wrapping up a dense core of creamed pineapple, yellow apple chutney, candied pink grapefruit and quince flavors. The long finish is viscous but bright, gilded liberally with ravishing singed almond and hazelnut notes. Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Best from 2022 through 2045." 95 points, Wine Spectator

"Another rocking sweet wine is the 2017 Château Coutet. This big, full-bodied, opulent beauty has serious notes of orange blossom, buttered citrus, and honey, yet also shows the more pure, precise, and elegant style of the vintage on the palate. The cool, overcast summer allowed good ripeness while preserving the purity of fruit and the whites (and dessert wines) from this vintage are beautiful!" 95 points, Jeb Dunnuck

"Rich sunflower yellow in colour, this has a good concentration of subtle spiced ginger on the nose, followed by rich citrus and apricot tart flavours, going almost as far as white truffles. It's gourmet without being cloying, thanks to those Barsac soils which give a wonderful freshness through the palate. The acidity is not quite as focussed as in classic years for the appellation, but it has zip and personality and is a clear success in this vintage." 95 points, Decanter

"The 2017 Coutet has a super intense nose of ripe apricots, honey-coated nuts, warm pineapple and mango with touches of nutmeg and orange blossoms. Rich, sweet and unctuous, it has wonderful intensity and depth, finishing with fantastic length." 95 points, Wine Advocate

"Warm oak, pastry and botrytis aromas. Very rich and creamy fruit characters, with a real crème caramel touch. Enough balancing acidity and lots of complexity and depth. Very long, mouthfilling finish. Very good." 94 points, Tim Atkin