Francois Cotat

The history

The Cotat family has been cultivating vineyards on the slopes of Chavignol ever since the Second World War came to an end. Starting in 1947, brothers Francis and Paul Cotat ran the business together, bottling a single wine produced in a single cellar under two separate labels.

This business model continued until the 1990s, when the brothers retired and passed the vineyards on to their sons, Pascal (son of Francis) and François (son of Paul). The official division of the estate is generally considered to have taken place in 1998.

François Cotat remained at Chavignol, retaining the Culs de Beaujeu plot and portions of the Monts Damnés and La Grande Côte plots. Pascal settled at Sancerre. Now there are two wineries, two labels that appear similar at first glance, and two wines that taste similar but are not exactly the same. This is precisely why these two wines are often compared side by side.

Neither of these cousins has changed the winkemaking significantly. Both have continued to follow the methods their fathers used.

Four hectares, and most of them steep

François Cotat cultivates approximately 4 hectares of farmland in Chavignol, of which about 3.5 hectares are planted with the Sauvignon Blanc variety, and 0.5 hectares are planted with the Pinot Noir variety. For a name that has generated so much buzz, this is a very small scale.

Three vineyards play the leading roles. Les Monts Damnés, La Grande Côte, and Les Culs de Beaujeu are located on steep slopes with almost no topsoil.

Caillottes is the exception. Located just east of the Monts Damnés slope, it is a relatively flat area where young vines are planted on thin limestone soil, producing wines that reveal their character earlier than those from the other vineyards.

Chavignol is located in the western part of the Sancerre appellation, and it is the cru vineyards on these hillsides that anchor the estate's reputation.

The terroir and a connection with Chablis

Underneath Chavignol lies a chalk plateau that forms part of the same geological belt that runs through Chablis. It is covered by clay and limestone soils known locally as terres blanches (white earth).

This soil composition, combined with the steep slopes, defines the character of Cotat's wines. Specifically, these characteristics include the firm texture typical of chalk, high acidity, and a distinct mineral flavor that remains noticeable even when the fruit flavors have ripened and become rich.

Caillottes, meaning small stones, is a different story. The limestone layer is thinner and the terrain is flatter, giving the wine a more immediate liveliness.

Late harvesting is the other half of this equation. François Cotat harvests at a level of ripeness that most growers in the Sancerre region would not dare to attempt, and this is precisely where the wine's body and concentration originate. In some years, a touch of residual sugar is added, causing the wine's style to vary noticeably from vintage to vintage.

Sauvignon Blanc, plus a little Pinot

The grape lineup is simple, and the white wines are produced exclusively from a single variety:

• Sauvignon Blanc: The grapes that serve as the basis for all of the estate's Chavignol wines are bottled as a single-varietal wine.
• Pinot Noir: A red grape variety from the Sancerre appellation, grown in a small vineyard.

Most attention is focused on Sauvignon, which is only natural given that this variety is planted on the hillside. However, Pinot Noir is also part of this estate, and the Cotat family has been cultivating both varieties on these slopes since the 1940s.

The winemaking

The harvest is done entirely by hand and takes place very late in the season. This single decision determines most of the subsequent process, as such fully ripe fruit requires a winemaking approach that allows it to settle naturally rather than being handled forcefully.

Fermentation takes place in old demi-muids (large oak barrels that have fully imparted their oak aroma) using indigenous yeasts. The wine is then transferred to larger tonneaux for aging. Here, the wood serves merely as a container for the wine, rather than a means of adding aroma.

François Cotat racks the wine according to the lunar cycle and bottles all wines without fining or filtration. Although the vineyards are not certified organic, they are cultivated without pesticides and generally follow organic farming practices.

When young, the wine may be cloudy, taste rough, and sometimes fall outside the range that the appellation's tasting panel considers typical of Sancerre. As a result, certain vintages have been unable to bear the Sancerre designation on their labels. However, this has not altered the wine's style.

The wines

The François Cotat line is organized around specific vineyards rather than quality grades, and the differences stem from the vineyards themselves, not from variations in the winery's production methods.

• Sancerre Les Monts Damnés: Wines produced on the steep slopes that made Chavignol famous
• Sancerre La Grande Côte: Another hill cru in this village
• Les Culs de Beaujeu: A vineyard that François retained for himself during the family division
• Sancerre Caillottes: A plot planted with young vines on relatively flat limestone soil, producing the earliest-drinking wine in this group

In addition to white wines, there is also the 0.5-hectare Pinot Noir, so the Sauvignon Blanc bottled wines alone do not fully represent the winery's entire range. Overall, production volumes are low, which is the main reason these wines are hard to find anywhere.