Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Spiced cherries, plums, iron and a touch of chocolate. Round, fresh and fleshy on the palate with medium to full body and firm, polished tannins. Structured and pretty long. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
This estate in Saint-Emilion, the oldest in the hands of the same family, has produced a wine with plenty of potential. It is still structured, the black fruit and licorice aromas reflected in the dense tannins and black currant flavors. Drink from 2027.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Prayssac, the 2022 Coutet offers up aromas of cassis, spices, licorice and dark wild berries intertwined with menthol hints. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and velvety, it's framed by a good chassis of tannins and has good depth at the core enhanced by a delicately oaky touch in the mid-palate, concluding with a long, licorice-inflected finish. This is a well-crafted, classic Saint-Émilion grand cru.
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Wine Spectator
Plum compote and kirsch flavors are warm in feel as they pick up roasted cedar and an echo of warm earth through the slightly grainy finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best from 2026 through 2031. 4,000 cases made, 600 cases imported.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.