Originally a fortress in the 13th century, the current Château Coutet still bears the imprint of its medieval construction with its crenellated square tower, typical of military constructions of the time.
In the 14th century, a fortified house called "La Salace" built within the property testifies to the architectural evolution. In the 18th century, two towers and a chapel were erected in the center of the estate.
The history of Château Coutet as a wine estate began in 1643. Charles Le Guérin, known as Seigneur de Coutet, made it one of the first vineyards in the Sauternes appellation. The property is transmitted to his descendants until 1788.
Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States of America, stays for a long time in France. He was Ambassador there from 1785 to 1789. A fine gastronome, he also worked as a wine broker and notably wrote travel diaries in the major French wine regions. Wise, he celebrates Château Coutet as "the best Sauternes of Barsac".
Gabriel-Barthélemy Romain de Filhot became the owner of Coutet on the eve of the French Revolution.
In the aftermath of this troubled period, the estate returned to his grandson, the Marquis Romain-Bertrand de Lur-Saluces, he was then the largest producer of sweet white wine in the world, also owning at the time the Châteaux d' Yquem, de Fargues, Filhot and de Malle. Château Coutet remained his property until 1926.
Following the informal classifications, the 1855 classification, commissioned by Napoleon III, was published for the Universal Exhibition.
Alongside the greats of Médoc and Graves, it officially places Château Coutet among the Premiers Grands Crus of Sauternes and Barsac.
The year 1926 Henry-Louis GUY, industrialist from Lyon, becomes the new owner of Château Coutet. He had the famous and unrivaled Guy & Mital hydraulic presses installed there, one of the secrets of extracting the best juices from the estate.
His daughter, remarried to Edmond Rolland, managed the property until 1977 and it was in her honor that an exceptional cuvée was renewed under the name of Cuvée Madame.
In 1977 Marcel Baly and his two sons Philippe and Dominique became owners of Château Coutet. Of Alsatian origin, the family is divided between France and the United States. Thus begins the era of renewal of the vineyard and the farm buildings.
In 1994 they wanted Château Coutet to have greater expertise. They sign an exclusive partnership agreement with the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Company, both technical and commercial.
In 2010, the creation of a great dry white wine, Opalie de Château Coutet, took on a new challenge, with the same level of requirement as for great wine. This year is the first vintage.
After 40 years of developing Château Coutet, the Baly family measures the progress made: Château Coutet 2014 ranks third in the Top 100 of world wines published by the magazine Wine Spectator.
