Serious Sancerre: François and Pascal Cotat

Tom Baxter | July 27, 2023

As a steadfast source of fresh and verdant Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre rightfully holds a place in the hearts of imbibers the world over – and all year round.

To maintain, however, that this appellation cannot offer up serious, cellar-worthy wines would be misguided. At its very best, great Sancerre Blanc is a mineral, layered and highly elegant experience to enjoy. Without doubt, counted amongst the producers who deliver wines of this ilk are cousins François and Pascal Cotat.

To the west of the town of Sancerre (itself in the Loire Valley’s Cher département) is where one finds some of the most prized districts, including Chavignol where the Cotats are based. Much of the geology here differs from the flints (silex) that surround the hillside town and are instead made up of Kimmeridgian limestone (terres blanches). Combine this with later harvest dates, old oak fermentation and an aversion to fining or filtration, and a concentrated, textural and age-worthy style results. Despite François and Pascal producing the wines in their own separate cellars, the approach to winemaking overlaps a great deal, as learned from the generation before them (brothers Francis and Paul).

Sotheby’s Wine is delighted to offer an array of the famed vineyards Les Monts Damnés, La Grande Côte and Les Culs de Beaujeu. We invite you to sample an array of these vineyards and experience how two of Sancerre’s gifted artisans manifest their noble terroir in the glass.