It's Sancerre, Jim, but not as we know it

Idiosyncratic, complex, ageworthy; the wines of Francois Cotat

Sancerre is normally considered to be a source of wines for immediate drinking, but the wines of Francois Cotat are not typical Sancerre; sometimes he produces such idiosyncratic wines that they are not Sancerre at all. Francois is a great believer in ripeness as a means of expressing his two main terroirs, and often only sends out pickers when other producers have already completed their harvests.

The two main soils that he has vines on are first, gravel: the Caillottes, which is mostly to the east of Chavignol, towards the town of Sancerre, though also on the lower slopes of the Monts Damnés. Then secondly there is the Kimmeridgian clay, especially on Les Monts Damnés in the heart of Chavignol. This latter has slopes so steep that the altitude of his vineyard is 'up to' 400 metres, but when your means of access is a sled on a rope, that's kind of academic.

The extra maturity on the vine leads to more complexity and in the ancient cellars the wines aren't allowed to settle prior to fermentation, giving more body and a richer texture in the wine. He uses only native yeasts and ferments mostly in old barrels; he likes to let the character of each vintage express itself, and there is no attempt in the winemaking to pursue a homogeneous style from one year to another. Fresh and minerally when young, they develop a glorious richness with age. This is Sancerre for the cellar, not just early drinking; for the table, not just an aperitif. /NT 

Offered subject to remaining unsold; available immediately