Each year, the arrival of Pascal Cotat Sancerre on our shores prompts a feeding frenzy among sommeliers. Besieged importers don’t so much “sell” the wine as try not to slight anyone while doling it out; it’s like throwing a raw steak into a cage of hungry lions. We’re pleased to dole out our own little piece of Pascal Cotat’s 2015 production, the legendary “Les Monts Damnés” bottling—arguably the most intense, terroir-expressive, perception-expanding Sauvignon Blanc made anywhere in the world.
“Les Monts Damnés” is a single vineyard site of legendary status, one that would certainly carry a Grand Cru designation if Sancerre had them, and it once again delivered deep concentration and profound minerality in the 2015 vintage. If you can keep your hands off it in its youth, it’s a stalwart ‘collectible’ that ages gracefully for decades. The only problem is how quickly this wine comes and goes: Due to extremely limited availability, we are only able to offer 3 bottles each to top customers until we’ve sold out.
Les Monts Damnés, or “damned mountains,” is named for a series of steeply pitched vineyards in the village of Chavignol that the Cotat family has farmed since the end of WWII. The 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 dangerously steep slopes. This wine is sourced from one of the best, highest parcels on the north-facing slope of this famous vineyard, which is distinguished by its subsoils of pure Kimmeridgian chalk—the same, gleaming white ‘terres blanches’ found in Chablis and, further afield, England’s White Cliffs of Dover. Left behind from ancient sea beds over 150 million years ago, Kimmeridgian limestone 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.
The Cotat Sancerre dynasty begun in the 1940s has since evolved. The domaine was handed from brothers Paul and Francis to their sons, François and Pascal, in the 1990s. The cousins then created two separate domaines due to tedious government regulations. Pascal charted the path for Domaine Pascal Cotat in Sancerre and recently built a separate winery. He’s known for harvesting roughly a week later than most winemakers in the area, and as a result, his wines possess weight, texture and complexity that is unrivaled in Sancerre. Dedicated to the unique terroir of each site, the Cotats were among the first winemakers to vinify and produce single-vineyard bottlings in Sancerre.
This wine was hand-harvested then sent through pneumatic press in whole bunches without crushing or destemming. The juice was fermented and aged in neutral barrels that were at least ten years of age, which delivers a wine of pure minerality and brightness. After eight months of maturity, the wine was moved to 600-liter and 300-liter tonneaux, which aided in clarifying the wine. The wine was then bottled without fining or filtration. The result is a superb Sauvignon Blanc with an uncommonly textured mouthfeel, crystalline freshness, laser-focused minerality and lush concentration of fruit.
The 2015 Pascal Cotat “Les Monts Damnés’ Sancerre displays a golden straw-yellow core with heavy green reflections on the rim. The nose offers incredibly complex aromas of lemon blossoms, grapefruit candy, peach skin and passion fruit with dried jasmine, honey, wet herbs, and oyster shells. The palate is rich in texture, with a density that is rare in Sancerre: flavors of fleshy white peach and kaffir lime zest are layered over a stony, smoky mineral foundation. The wine’s concentration and focused minerality is actually reminiscent of serious white Burgundy and will age just as gracefully if kept well—in 4-5 years, layers of depth will evolve to reveal incredible nuttiness and savory characteristics. For instant gratification, decant this wine for one hour and serve at cellar temperature in Burgundy stems, ideally alongside something creamy and rich, like the
attached seafood chowder recipe, to put its electrifying acidity to work. Either way, don’t miss it!
