It’s impossible not to be captivated after laying eyes on the imposing “Les Monts Damnés” vineyard, a near-vertical slope with vines clinging to ancient maritime fossils preserved in rich chalk-limestone soils. It is, after all, one of the most iconic “crus” anywhere in the world, and in the hands of Pascal Cotat, it becomes a fiercely allocated, investment-grade collectible. Considering culty Dagueneau bottles a “Mont Damné” for multiples more, I’m taking Cotat every single time. Made famous by his family, this exceptional parcel and the complex, intensely concentrated, age-worthy wine produced from it is second to none. Legendary critic Robert Parker once dubbed them “some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs I have ever put to my lips,” and I couldn’t agree more. In my opinion, a wine of this magnitude deserves to be aged and cherished because serious Sauvignon Blanc stands alongside the greatest white wines of the world—that includes Grand Cru white Burgundy!
Cotat is worthy of praise this divine no matter the year, which is why today’s 2019 is all the more thrilling. The importer couldn’t stop talking about the vintage, saying that French producers, especially in the Loire Valley, are abuzz with excitement. Quality across the board seems to be off the charts, and Monts Damnés is exhibit A: it erupts generous weight, texture, and tension that is already in perfect equilibrium. It can be thoroughly enjoyed now, but the real magic will come in 2022 and far beyond. Our quantities are excruciatingly limited and a sellout truly means no more, so taking all six is highly recommended.
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 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 white 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 2019, grapes were gently sent through a pneumatic press in whole bunches and the juice fermented on indigenous yeasts in old demi-muids (large oak barrels). It was then transferred into even older and larger tonneaux. An unfiltered and unfined bottling occurred in accordance with the lunar calendar.
Of all the small allocations we’re allowed annually, Pascal Cotat’s “Les Monts Damnés” is always among the most exciting. If you haven’t had next-level Sauvignon Blanc, brace yourself for one of the most enjoyable experiences in white wine. If you were lucky enough to snag the ‘18 release last year, I want to make it clear that these are two distinctly different wines: Today’s 2019 has exotic, multi-textural flavors like its older brother, but this is impeccably balanced and brimming with tension—composed rather than flamboyant. After 60 minutes in a decanter, serve in Burgundy stems around 55 degrees and enjoy a controlled aromatic explosion of mango peel, juicy white peach, passionfruit, apricot, candied lime peel, white flowers, crushed chalk, oyster shell, struck flint, and a dramatic impression of crushed minerals. It exudes the classic richness and razor-sharp precision that has made Cotat famous and the lingering mineral-dominated finish serves as the encore. As always, you’ll find that with proper age “Les Monts Damnés” undergoes one of the most striking changes in all of white wine, starting a major transition around its fifth birthday and settling down around year 10. For this 2019 release, though, you just have to drink a bottle now. Cheers!
