Chateau Coutet 2017

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: " 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."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Leuchtendes Goldgelb. Dichtes Bouquet nach frischem Birnen Mark dahinter Mirabellen, frische Vanille und Orangenöl, im zweiten Ansatz kandierte Aprikosen. Am öligen Gaumen mit reifem Extrakt und viel Fülle. Im sehr langen Finale Akazienhonig, Mandarine und Reneklodenkompott. Grossartiger Barsac mit viel Kraft!"

DECANTER: "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. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038"

WINE SPECTATOR: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "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!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "An all-you-can-eat buffet of tropical fruit with a slather of orange honey, this concentrated, opulent wine has a pastried sweetness but the brisk acidity is equally noticeable, bringing everything into equipoise."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "75% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Muscadelle. Deep copper colour. True, ripe pear-juice aromas. Edge of veg. Really proper wine that’s not too heavy and should be one of the savoury stars of the vintage. Hint of blue cheese and real life here."