2008 (Chateau Coutet)

Cellar for up to 15 years. Serve chilled. Ranked as a Grand Cru Classe estate by the 1855 Classification, Chateau Coutet is one of the top producers in the Barsac sub-region of Sauternes. Barsac is famed for its lusciously sweet dessert wines thanks to the nearby Ciron River, relatively flat land and light gravel soils. These conditions produce rich autumn fogs which promote the growth of so-called "noble rot", a type of fungus which helps to raise the sugar concentration in the grapes by piercing their skins and allowing water to evaporate. This majestic bottling from Chateau Coutet is primarily composed of Semillon along with a smaller proportion of Sauvignon Blanc and a dash of Muscadelle. The grapes are picked late, giving them time to become infected with noble rot and to create a rich dessert wine with high residual sugar levels. The young wine is aged in French oak barrels for 18 months to add subtle toasted notes and extra complexity. This is an excellent wine to hold in the cellar for another decade or so since it still has significant potential for evolution and maturation. If you do choose to drink it now, the intense sweetness makes a great partner for foie gras, blue cheeses, or rich chocolate or fruit desserts.