1962 Coutet
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Tasting notes
The 1962 Coutet is burnished amber in color. Scents of dried honey, petrol and mandarin burst from the glass like galloping horses, powerful and untamed. The palate is medium-bodied with wonderful viscosity and balance. This Barsac is very harmonious, and it magically gains weight with aeration. The finish is quite crystalline and persistent in the mouth. Well-stored bottles will continue to give tremendous pleasure. Tasted at Medlar restaurant celebrating the release of The Complete Bordeaux book.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The brilliant 1962 Coutet has evolved a little since I last tasted it a decade ago, but even if it has lost a little of the vigor it displayed back then, it remains a complex, deeply compelling wine. Exhibiting aromas of bitter orange, confit citrus, beeswax, crème brûlée and coniferous forest floor, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit, lively acids and a long, saline finish. With age, the perception of sweetness is diminishing, and today this is in a great place.
Brilliant orange tawny. By now not particularly sweet but very clean, fresh and satisfying with barley sugar and camembert rind notes. Creamy texture. Very self-contained. Not at all flashy or fleshy but admirably long. Just a hint of toast. Care needed not to serve anything too sweet with this but the unadorned blackberries flattered it, making it taste even richer. (JR)
About the producer
Classified as a First Growth in 1855, this Barsac property has a history stretching back to the 14th century. Today it has 38.5 hectares of vineyard, producing brilliant sweet wines cut by taut acidity. In certain years, it produces Cuvée Madame, pure botrytised Semillon from its oldest vines.