2011 Francois Cotat Sancerre Monts Damnes

The Francois Cotat 2011 Sancerre Les Monts Damnes went entirely dry, with 14.5% alcohol recognizable primarily in sheer volume conveyed on a polished, richly lees-endowed palate, but also in a bit of finishing heat. Scents – and thereafter, bitter-sweetly pungent palate presence – of coriander, cardamom, caraway and sage, are allied to succulent Persian melon and lightly cooked apple. There is a faint suggestion of sweetness, reportedly a function of the alcohol and fruit personality rather than above-threshold residual sugar. This finishes with impressive persistence, even if – as already noted – with a touch of heat. It is another Cotat wine of its vintage whose evolution I would be very curious to follow, but for which I am not prepared to predict the sort of long life-span that one normally associates with wines from this address. 90 points