Style: White Wine

Producer: François Cotat

Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

Where: "Les Caillottes" Chavignol Sancerre Loire Valley

Country: France

Taste: No surprise for this Sancerre “Les Caillotes” which hits the mark at each tasting. This 2022 turns out to be a little riper than usual, a consequence of a particularly sunny vintage: lily, fresh mango, roasted grapefruit.... On the palate, the material remains lively and well-taut, a finish on which returns to citrus fruits with a mineral hint.  A delicate wine with fine tension and texture, which Cotat believes is down to the vineyard's chalky soils. It's aromatically restrained with subtle honey and biscuity notes meeting freshness. Despite Cotat's reputation for picking late and recent warm vintages (such as 2020) showing some high alcohols knocking the balance, this is just 12.8% and all the better for it.

Vibes With: Crab cannelloni, fennel, ginger, cardamom, Goat cheese, Seafood, Rosted Turkey. Asian cuisine like Thai salads or stir-fries with basil. 

Organic Farming

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About the Producer: 

The venerable Cotat estate holds vineyards in the top-rated village of Chavignol, making tiny quantities of absolutely unforgettable wines. In fact, these wines are so distinctive that certain vintages were forbidden from using the Sancerre appellation, as they were deemed “atypical” for Sancerre. Regardless of whether they are called Sancerre or not, they are certainly outstanding in quality, exhibiting a perfect balance between fruit, minerality and acidity.

From 1947 until the early 1990’s, the Cotat family, under the direction of the brothers Francis and Paul, made a single cuvee in one cellar for each of their brothers designated wines, but bottled it under two separate labels. Upon retiring, the Cotat brothers turned their vineyards over to each of their sons, Francis son Pascal and Paul’s son Francois. Today the cousins produce their wines in separate cellars, but each still practices the same traditional winemaking techniques mastered by their fathers.