1914 Chateau Coutet Vin De Barsac Mt Le Marquis Lur Saluces

What a remarkable experience. Melbourne wine distributor Garry Steel invited the Vintage Direct crew out for dinner to sample some of his wines, and produced this wine as a piece de resistance.

There is not much information that we can find about the 1914 vintage, except that Michael Broadbent thought the year rated better than the 4/10 status generally allocated to the vintage. Picking started early for Sauternes – 20th September 1914.

The colour of this wine had gone to caramel gold, and looking at the bottle one could easily be drawn to the conclusion that this old stickie had dried out. The wine would tell its own story.

Caramel gold colour, with olive green hue. The wine was wonderful and still very much alive! Superbly complex aroma of spice, honeycomb quince, caramel and prune with the quince note riding over the others. The palate was exquisite – and explosion of honeyed quince, supported by hints of prune and a distinct rancio character. Exceptional lengths and concentration. Perfect balance, with sweetness still evident over the quince. The wine has not dried out! Profoundly long aftertaste of quince and honeycomb. What an experience!

RATING: 100/100

VALUE: XXXXX/5