Description

“Cotat produces old-style Sancerre, quite different from the norm found today… rich, full flavored, thick, and sometimes
not bone dry. They are some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs I have ever put to my lips.”
***** Five Star, Outstanding Sancerre Producer
Robert Parker, Wine Buyer’s Guide, 5th edition

Pascal Cotat is one of the smallest producer in France with 2 hectares, but his reputation in the Fine Wine world is
inversely proportional to the volume of his production. Pascal makes some of the longest ageing Sauvignon Blanc in
the world, from two single vineyards in Chavignol: the Grande Côte and the Monts Damnés. Vines in both vineyards
are more than 40 years old. Pascal is famous for harvesting his fruit 2 weeks after anyone else in Sancerre, thus
producing wines with great ripeness.
Both wines are fermented in demi-muids (600L) old barrels, and the wine ages in the same barrels (with 2 rackings) for
6 to 8 months before being bottled in Spring without any fining or filtration.
The 2023 vintage was complicated in the Loire Valley overall, but less so in Sancerre, where July and August were
quite dry. Some rain in September followed by some warm weather helped ripen the grapes. Overall, this is a very
good vintage in terms of quality and yields, but it is followed by an extremely low vintage in 2024!