Barsac

Château Coutet - Barsac

• Cuvée Madame: a richer expression of Coutet: Cuvée Madame takes Coutet’s Barsac identity towards greater concentration, with more Sémillon and maturation entirely in new oak. The 2003 pairs this richness with acidity that preserves freshness. Its painstaking berry selection explains why it is a separate, rare cuvée rather than simply a different label for the grand vin.
• The gift that became a cuvée: According to the estate’s account, it all began in 1943: the female harvesters offered a day’s work to Madame Rolland-Guy, the château’s owner, selecting the most concentrated berries for her. This gift became “Cuvée Madame”.
• Choosing berry by berry: At Coutet, “Cuvée Madame” relies on particularly rigorous selection and is produced only in favourable years. For the 2003, the estate describes picking berry by berry, followed by a second sorting in the cellar to remove damaged berries.

Château Climens

Bordeaux · Barsac

• Balance before richness: In 2009, the Climens grapes concentrated so quickly that the team brought together different stages of noble-rot ripeness to preserve balance. The episode reminds us that a great sweet wine is not judged by its sugar richness alone.
• Barsac in pure Sémillon: ‘Château Climens’, classified Premier Cru in 1855, is made entirely from Sémillon grown on Barsac’s limestone. Harvest waits for noble rot, a fungus that causes the berries to lose water and concentrates their juice.
• A sweet wine carried by freshness: ‘Château Climens’ 2023 shows a clear, elegant, balanced profile, with brilliant freshness.