Château Couhins 2015

Characteristics and tasting advice for Château Couhins Blanc 2015

Tasting

Color

With its bright golden hue and pale highlights, this wine reflects the grapes’ fine ripeness at harvest.

Nose

The nose is refined and delicate, combining aromas of ripe lemon and white peach with spring floral notes. The aromatic expression stands out for its pronounced minerality, bringing complexity and elegance to the whole.

Palate

On the palate, Château Couhins Blanc 2015 charms with its roundness and richness, while retaining a refreshing vibrancy. Citrus and white-fruit flavors mingle harmoniously with a lingering mineral backbone. The finish extends with saline notes that lend depth and character to this well-balanced wine.

Food and wine pairing

This white wine from Pessac-Léognan is an ideal match for scallops, oysters, and seafood. It also pairs beautifully with delicate fish in a light sauce, mushroom risotto, or aged goat cheeses.

Serving and cellaring

Château Couhins Blanc 2015 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 10 and 12°C. Aerating for about fifteen minutes before serving helps fully reveal its aromatic range. This wine can be enjoyed until around 2027.

A Grand Cru Classé de Graves expressing the minerality of Pessac-Léognan

The estate

Born in the 18th century from the merger of the Gravette and Pont de Langon estates, Château Couhins is located in Villenave d'Ornon, on the doorstep of Bordeaux, in the Pessac-Léognan AOC. Classified as a grand cru classé de Graves in 1959, it has been owned by INRAE since 1968, which has made it an experimental estate combining production and viticultural research. Its identity is shaped by elevated gravel rises, with pebbles over a clay subsoil, promoting drainage and deep rooting.

The vineyard

The Château Couhins Blanc vines are planted on the clay-limestone slopes to the north of the estate, benefiting from a cool exposure particularly well suited to Sauvignon. The soils consist of friable limestone at the surface, resting on a layer of compact clay that ensures a steady water supply to the vines. This geological configuration, combined with the high elevation of the Pessac-Léognan plots, encourages slow, gradual ripening of the grapes, thus preserving the aromatic freshness characteristic of the appellation. The estate practices precision viticulture with hand harvesting and has not used herbicides since 2000, obtaining organic certification starting with the 2022 vintage.

The vintage

The year 2015 ranks among the three warmest years recorded since 1900 in the Bordeaux region. The growing season was marked by record temperatures and exceptional drought from May to July, creating conditions of moderate water stress that were beneficial to aromatic concentration. Cool nights helped preserve the grapes’ natural acidity, while the warm month of August provided ideal support for veraison. Harvest began on September 17, 2015, allowing grapes to be picked at optimal ripeness, combining aromatic concentration with balanced acidity.

Winemaking and aging

The Château Couhins Blanc 2015 grapes are hand-harvested, then slowly cold-pressed pneumatically to preserve delicate aromas. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. Aging is carried out for nine months in a combination of barrels (including around 40% new oak), large oak vats, and stainless-steel tanks, with regular lees stirring. This method adds complexity and texture while preserving freshness and the mineral expression of the terroir.

Grape variety

Sauvignon blanc and sémillon.