Cotat 2007’s Are In!

11/7/2008 -

Pascal and Francois Cotat make some of the most legendary Sauvignon Blancs in the Loire Valley and we've received a nice sized allocation of the 2007's.  These wines are the peak of Sancerre and their famous sites Les Monts Damnes, La Grand Cote and Culs de Beaujeu performed as expected in 2007. These vineyards are on the vein of Kimmeridgian marl (as are Premier and Grand Cru Chablis) which arcs across France, reaching the hills of Chavignol, giving the wines a depth and complexity found in no other Sauvignon Blanc in the world. The vintage is better than 2001 and 2004 but does not quite reach the heights of 2002. The depth is not quite there but it is a very typical and classic vintage with excellent acidity, structure and minerality and the ability to age for 15+ years. It's absolutely extraordinary, the ability of the Cotat brother's Sancerres to age as well as a White Burgundy, White Rhône or even German and Austrian Rieslings. The change is remarkable as their primary fruit gets integrated with intense minerality, citrus and stony flavors that broaden into ripe melon, anise, chalk, petrol...and the wine in the mouth becomes rounder and richer with age as is the style here. Almost custard like but still very racy. You cannot believe it is Sauvignon Blanc.

There is not much difference I find in the two brothers wines. Francois' maybe have a little more cut and precision but that is more conjecture based on my tastings than anything fact based. Francois' and Pascal's domaines are farmed naturally, and both brothers' vineyards are on very steep hillsides in Chavignol. Usually they are among the last to harvest in Chavignol and that proved to their advantage in 2007. We get one drop a year and this is it. So act quickly! Mix and match with these or other wines and they will go down to $46.79 a bottle. A steal among the worlds great wines.