TN: Château Coutet 2008, Sauternes-Barsac: "For Your Love is Better than Wine'.

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John Trombley
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Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Piqua, Ohio, United States of America - USA

TN: Château Coutet 2008, Sauternes-Barsac: "For Your Love is Better than Wine'.

Post by John Trombley »

Château Coutet 2008, Sauternes-Barsac (Bordeaux); 14 pabv; Constellation Wines, Madera. $20/375 ml from Dorothy Lane Market, Washington Commons, Centerville, OH. 0 00002 02000 6.

At our wedding on October 8, 2005 Barbara and I heard the Song of Solomon read, Ch. 1: 'Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth. For your love is better than wine'.

It was on Saturday, August 13, 2016, just before a wine tasting we were attending in Dexter, Michigan that Barbara suffered an eventually fatal cardiac arrest, just after tasting with me the Domaine Leflaive 2012 Puligny-Montrachet Pucelles, the 1970 Montrose, the 1975 Lascombes en magnum, and the 1976 von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese Fuder 75. The 2008 Château Coutet Barsac was the first wine I tasted since my beautiful, my beloved one died:

8/23/2016 rated 92 points:

Orange botrytis color with green overtones; clear and deep. Apricot bakeshop and unleavened bread; grape scents with just a touch of linden leaf and rose attar pungency; quite hesitant at first in the nose but seeming to have lots of stuff in reserve; cool herbosity waits in the background. Framework is citrus-based and very pleasantly juicy, with more clean apricot or nectarine too, with spun-sugar, clean, organic powdered sugar on offer; great length but with the simplicity and high tones of a fine Barsac, with lots of energy available for future development if desired. Even with its power, its delicacy and harmony are quite apparent. Delightful and fascinating with its play on finesse versus potential. Drink 2021-2026.

After about a month on the shelf, the edges have softened and harmony improved. This will definitely benefit by 5-10 years more cellaring. Expect that finesse and integration will push this up a point from my original impression of 91.

Harvest 7 hand tries, over 20 days from September 29 through November 13, using 75 workers. 75 percent Sémillon, 23 percent Sauvignon blanc, and 2 percent Muscadelle,100 percent barrel fermented in new French oak, aged for 18 months in 100 percent new French oak; bottled at estate May 2010. This was a tough vintage--mostly because devastating April frosts and later problems caused yields to plummet, and made selection a heartbreaking affair. This wine was so scarce, and one of the better ones of the vintage, with the effort you see here was put forth (more like a German dessert-wine harvest), that its release price was about twice the usual. Since the vintage got chancy reviews, some was remaindered my way, and I was happy to get it.


Barbara's favorite wines of all were the Joh Jos Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslesen, particularly the gold caps. But her favorite activity was lovingly watching those of us who were enjoying ourselves sipping and laughing together, appreciating our wines.
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