It’s impossible not to be captivated after laying eyes on the
vertigo-inducing “Les Monts Damnés” vineyard; it is one of the most iconic “crus” anywhere in the world. And, when coupled with the peerless skill of Pascal Cotat, it becomes next-level Sancerre that, sadly, is often devoured in restaurants while in its infancy. In my opinion, a wine of this magnitude deserves to be aged and cherished.
Which brings me to my next point: Serious Sauvignon Blanc can stand alongside the greatest white wines of the world (in Paris last year, I had a bottle of ‘85 that was absolutely epic). Vintage after vintage, Pascal Cotat delivers a Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc at its most finely etched and tightly allocated, and still, most people haven’t heard of this vinous wonder of the world—we aim to change that! Grown in very similar terroir that defines some of the finest white Burgundies—and capable of aging just as long—Cotat’s Sancerre is arguably one of the most important white wine ‘collectibles’ one could hope to lay down, and it is priced at a fraction of its flashier contemporaries. We offer Cotat’s iconic single-vineyard “Les Monts Damnés” whenever we can get our hands on a few bottles and, not surprisingly, it disappears almost instantly. If this is your first experience with Pascal Cotat, be warned that it will not be your last. While it’s only getting harder to acquire these wines, the payoff is always worth the effort. You’ll see...
Originating in the 1940s, the Cotat family domaine was passed from brothers Paul and Francis to their respective sons, François and Pascal, in the 1990s. Dedicated to the unique terroir of each site, the Cotats were among the first winemakers to vinify and produce single-vineyard bottlings in Sancerre, but the cousins eventually created two separate labels due to tedious government regulations. While François stayed put in Chavignol, his cousin charted the path for Domaine Pascal Cotat in Sancerre and built a separate winery.
Within the village of Chavignol (within Sancerre), Les Monts Damnés, or “damned mountains,” is the name of a series of steeply pitched vines the Cotat family has farmed for 75 years and counting. The cursed vineyard name is apropos given that the Cotats, by necessity, invented a system in which brave harvesters strap cushions to their rear ends to slide down the steep slopes. This wine is sourced from the highest parcels on the north-facing slope of this famous vineyard, which is distinguished by its subsoils of pure chalk—the same gleaming terres blanches found in Chablis. Left behind from ancient seabeds over 150 million years ago, this special soil offers a distinct, intense minerality that is entirely its own.
Cotat’s vines on Les Monts Damnés average about 35 years of age, and few winemakers can rival Pascal’s talent and dedication in the cellar—even fewer, if any, have the restraint to match his skilled late harvests. He’s known for hand harvesting roughly a week later than others in the area, and as a result, his wines possess greater weight, ripeness, and complexity. In 2017, grapes were gently sent through a pneumatic press in whole bunches without crushing or destemming. No stainless steel is introduced throughout the élevage: The juice fermented on indigenous yeasts in old oak vats called demi-muids and was then transferred into even older and larger tonneaux, which aided in clarifying the wine. It was then bottled without fining or filtration.
After allowing Pascal Cotat’s 2017 to rest a further six months in our temperature-controlled warehouse, we opened a bottle last week and it nearly brought us to our knees. The wine looks gorgeous, shining with a brilliant straw-yellow core and fierce green reflections, but it’s the intoxicating, exotic perfumes that take center stage. After patiently waiting one hour for the wine to open up in an oxygen-friendly decanter, candied citrus, mango peel, passionfruit, and honeysuckle wafts out, followed by a ripe mixture of green and yellow apples, white peach, gooseberry, wild herbs, and finely crushed shells and chalk. The palate exudes classic richness and laser-sharp mineral precision that has made Cotat famous, and, of course, a savory creaminess buttressed by mouth-watering acidity. You’ll find that with proper age, “Les Monts Damnés” undergoes one of the most dramatic changes in all of white wine, starting a major transition around its fifth birthday and settling down around year 10-15. In hopes to avoid contradicting myself, it’s far too tempting not to drink a couple right now: Serve in Burgundy stems around 55 degrees alongside a
chèvre appetizer and a classic
poulet rôti for your main course. This wine deserves the best food and company!
