Château Coutet is a vineyard steeped in history, dating back over 400 years to 1601. The very ancient remains and wild tulips and Eastern Gladiolus left by the Romans, as well as the former name of the place, “Domaine de Francs”, are proof that the land was already inhabited during the Roman era. The estate was given its current name by Sieur François Coutet in the 15th century and became property of the mayor of Libourne, Thomas d’Augereau, in 1601.
The Coutet vineyard has been passed down from generation to generation, intimately tied to the David Beaulieu family for centuries. Its inhabitants have always produced a high-quality Saint-Émilion wine. In 1874, wine critic Édouard Féret referred to the estate as being situated on a hillside of Saint-Émilion with a fortunate position overlooking the Dordogne valley, and praised its land as highly favorable to the vine.
Today, the vineyard is still run by Alain and Xavier, both manager and winemaker, and three generations of the David Beaulieu family are actively involved in the company. Adrien is in charge of sales, while Matthieu, Mathilde, and Raphaëlle participate in various vineyard activities. The 14th generation of the family is also part of the company.
The vineyard is unique in that it is free from any trace of chemical activities and is currently being studied by various scientific bodies. Its Mediterranean microclimate and diverse flora and fauna are attracting numerous visitors and researchers. The agronomy school of Bordeaux has installed temperature sensors and the Vitirover company uses the vineyard as a study site to develop its solar-powered robot.
Since 2013, the David Beaulieu family has been actively developing and organizing its wine tourism offer. They open their doors to visitors, eager to share their history, passion for nature, and knowledge of the terroir. The family welcomes guests with open arms and shares their anecdotes and stories, offering wine tastings and workshops.
In order to better receive guests, a reception hall is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, allowing for events such as seminars, corporate and association gatherings, weddings, and birthday parties. This new activity takes place in a family-friendly and dynamic atmosphere.
The family also has plans to return to traditional methods of ploughing the vineyard by using draft horses instead of tractors. The use of horses will help keep the soil less compacted and the work more environmentally friendly. In addition, the château staff will be restructured, with two new members joining the family team to develop wine tourism and manage viticulture work.
Finally, the André David Beaulieu Museum is set to open soon, honoring the memory of a renowned naturalist and ornithologist who was also a colonial administrator in French Indochina and manager of Château Coutet until 1969. The museum will display numerous colonial era remains and animals stuffed by him, as well as archives dating back to the estate’s founding 400 years ago.
Château Coutet’s 400-year history is rich and full of stories and traditions that the David Beaulieu family is eager to share with the world. Whether through their wine tourism efforts or their commitment to preserving their heritage, the family is dedicated to maintaining the history and beauty of the estate for generations to come.
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Elese
a week agoWe had a fabulous & informative tour of Chateau Coutet with Georges. He was very accommodating with our 4 & 8 year old boys (they loved exploring the gardens) & Georges explained in detail the vineyards' history and wine-making process. Highly recommend!
Jeanette Jackson
in the last weekOutstanding guided tour with Agnes today! An excellent tour for first-time tasters but also fascinating for organic wine enthusiasts.
andy baker
2 years agoIncredible place. Firstly the tour itself was super insightful and we were able to learn lots about the local area and how the chateau has made and continues to make wine. Including biodiversity. We then were shown around how they made the wine and even the family private cellar which was very cool to see in real life Tasting was great and the ability to buy and to ship wines to your location was even better. Would highly recommend. Agnes was a great tour guide. We walked from the town centre / train station and it’s well worth doing if you don’t mind walking. Very pretty. 10/10 5*
Andy
4 months agoFabulous. Informative, down to earth, and fun tour of the vineyard and wine making process. Thank you George for your great hospitality.
A Zeng
9 months agoThe tour was excellent, was very interesting to hear about the long history of the chateau and learn about their traditional wine making techniques!