2016 Ch Coutet 1er Cru Half Bottle 375ml, Barsac

One of the top sweet wines in this report is the 2016 Château Coutet, which has the vintage’s plush, opulent style as well as thrilling purity and good acids. Pineapple, white flowers, sugared peach, and honeyed notes all emerge from this full-bodied, layered, balanced Barsac that’s already impossible to resist yet will evolve gracefully 2+ decades.

97 points Jeb Dunnuck jebdunnuck.com Feb 2019

The vibrant, tropical fruit-coulis character draws you into this concentrated and elegant Barsac. Then the crisp acidity and a wave of lemon and mineral character comes through, driving the finish out in the direction of the horizon. Drink or hold.

With coaxing, the pale lemon colored 2016 Coutet slowly unfurls to give a myriad of preserved lemons, pineapple pastry, almond croissant, fresh ginger and lime blossoms scents with nuances of chalk dust, white pepper, star anise and cedar. Rich, seductive and yet exquisitely balanced, the satiny-textured palate has layer upon layer of citrus and savory notions, finishing very long and spicy. Drink 2021-2044.