Château Coutet in Saint-Émillion dates back to the 15th century. It has been closely linked to the Beaulieu family for over 400 years. Today, the 14th generation is already involved in the company and still benefits from conditions that were described in the "Classification des vins" of 1884 as follows: "The Coutet vineyard is located on one of the hills of Saint-Émilion, in a fortunate position overlooking the Dordogne valley, with picturesque sites and a soil very favourable to the vine. The vineyard consists of 9 hectares, spread partly over the plateau and partly over the south-west slope. This beautiful location can only produce gentle wines that are characterised by their long-lasting bouquet."
Production is carried out according to certified organic standards, and no weedkillers or pesticides have ever been used in Coutet. The soil is completely free of chemicals and is scientifically analysed by various institutions.
"It is one of the few places in Saint-Émilion where there are still some pedunculate, holm and sessile oaks. Fig trees are also well represented and some small dry meadows are home to several orchid species."
The vineyard area of 11.5 hectares is planted 60% with Merlot, 30% with Cabernet Franc and 5% each with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
The Saint-Martin plateau (4.5 ha) has a medium to fine-grained, calcareous brown soil over a limestone subsoil - typical of Saint Émillion. The plots are surrounded by prestigious Premiers Grands Crus Classés neighbours.
La Côte de Franc (3.5 ha) is the slope of the plateau that slopes down towards Libourne.
The soil here consists of a heavy clay-limestone mixture. Finally, Le pied de côte (5 ha) consists mainly of loamy sand, partly on iron oxides. The growing density is around 6,000 vines/ha. The average age of the vines is 38 years.
photos: Château Coutet
