Coutet Cuvée Madame 2003

The Château Coutet 2003 Cuvée Madame was picked on September 30 at between 22 and 26 degrees potential alcohol and is laden with a whopping 230 grams per liter of residual sugar, one of the highest ever. Aged in 100% new oak for 36 months, it has a powerful nose that perhaps does not quite have the finesse of the 2001 Cuvée Madame. Pineapple, quince and marmalade are to the fore with touches of beeswax developing, through I find more delineation on the 2001. The palate is rounded, soft textured, plump in the mouth, a boatload of botrytis here with notes of marmalade, quince, almond and honeycomb. It is a delicious Cuvée Madame that I suspect will be enjoyed best from release in September 2015 (on Aline's birthday incidentally.)

New label. Mild winter, early budding on 24 March and a very hot and sunny summer. Picked 30 September. Rain in September kick-started a very rapid botrytis attack. The noble rot infection needs to be homogeneous. RS 230 g/l. 100% Sémillon. 100% barrel fermented, 100% new oak, all of it in new French oak for three years. Bottled June 2006. Released September 2015.
Colour remarkably similar to the three previous vintages 2003, 1997 and 1995. Quite a different nose from the other three. Spicy, candied citrus peel. Big, round and really quite opulent. Very sweet and easy to love. White peach juice, but without quite the nerve of acidity of the previous three vintages.