Sancerre Vacheron/Cotat
Two of the most esteemed producers of Sancerre, Francois Cotat and Domaine Vacheron are on offer today. Despite both being from the same region they produce two distinctly different styles of Sauvignon Blanc, mostly attributed to the soils in which they’re grown. The wines produced from Vacheron are sleek, precise and polished in comparison to the traditional, more rustic, terroir-driven style of Francois Cotat.
Cotat works with vineyards located on some of the steepest slopes in Chavignol, one of the most highly regarded areas of Sancerre. It is known for its Kimmeridgian limestone soils typical for Chablis and surrounding areas, and the wines reflect the distinct minerality of this terroir. Cotat prefers to harvest on the later side, allowing the Sauvignon grapes to fully ripen, which yields a wine with more texture and fullness than you would typically see from Sauvignon Blanc produced in Sancerre. Francois Cotat’s wines are known for their ability to age, often needing 10+ years to develop secondary and tertiary notes, becoming richer and more complex with age.
Domaine Vacheron, on the other hand is a certified biodynamic producer that turns out Sancerre with immense precision and clarity. I very much like this style as it is clean, focused and laser sharp, always with a nice balance between the fruit and acidity. The wines are aged mostly in stainless steel or neutral oak to maintain the freshness and vibrancy. I find these wines to be very pleasing to those of us that love an elegant, focused Sauvignon that can be enjoyed on the earlier side without sacrificing any of the tart flavors that make Sauvignon such a versatile choice.
Vigneron Notes: The Vacheron cousins own 1 hectare of vines in the lieu-dit of Le Paradis. Their plot is on a south-facing slope with shallow limestone soils. The soil is so thin and poor that the vine roots grow deeply into fissures in the bedrock below. Le Paradis is an explosively aromatic wine, dense on the palate with a broad mineral character kept in check by a sinuous acidity that keeps things lively.
The 2022 Le Paradis offers up ripe lemon and nectarines on the nose. Delightfully textured, the clay-limestone soils give a tender generosity. This calm, finely textured style has a delicate, chalky feel. The 2022 is finely poised and carefully handled
- Vinous Media, 92
Vigneron Notes: Les Romains is a flint terroir located in the eastern part of Sancerre. Here the soils have a strong resemblance to the terroir across the Loire river in Pouilly-Fumé. There is a definite smoky and flinty quality to the wine that is backed with a piquant and delicate citrus fruitiness reminiscent of grapefruit.
The 2022 Les Romains is a focused Sancerre with ripe flesh on the core and mid-palate. Its straight, firm corridor of structure is oh-so flint on the finish, providing grip and power.
- Vinous Media, 90
Vigneron Notes: Facing full south, ‘La Grande Côte’ is indeed grand, with its sweeping yellow fruits and its profound depth. Here soils are almost exclusively chalk, the same vein that runs through Chablis — which means energy, precision and verve.
Vigneron Notes: These “damned mountains” provide the most chiseled, vibrant and deeply profound of Cotat’s stupendous Sancerre wines. Smoke, ripe pears, lemon zest.
Vigneron Notes:‘Caillottes’ means little stones. This vineyard (a flatter area, due east of the slope where the ‘Monts Damnés’ vineyard is found), with its thin limestone soils, is planted to young vines. Zesty notes of lime and white pepper; sweet yellow fruit. A more “approachable,” early drinking Cotat that nonetheless captures the depth and persistence of the Cotat style.
Vigneron Notes: François Cotat makes a miniscule amount of this pure, Pinot Noir rosé, with just over an acre of vines in Chavignol. Raspberries, white pepper, blood peaches, autumn forest floor.
