Pre Arrival Pascal Cotat Sancerre "Les Monts Damnes" 2025

Notes:

Notes of pear, orange oil and nectarine preface the 2025 Saint-Véran Vieilles Vignes de Saint-Claude, a medium- to full-bodied wine that is concentrated yet racy, with ample chalky structuring extract imparting a sense of freshness. Vinous Media

Producer: Pascal Cotat is one of the benchmark names of Chavignol, with the Cotat family farming Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir on the slopes of the village since the years following World War II. Pascal took over his branch of the family domaine in the 1990s and built a reputation for a distinctive, traditional style of Sancerre: later harvesting, natural fermentations, and wines with concentration, texture, energy and the ability to age. The 2025 vintage marks a generational transition at the domaine, with longtime vineyard manager Benoît Fleuriet and his son Aymeric Fleuriet taking over, while Pascal remains involved during the transition. 2025 is Aymeric Fleuriet’s first independent vintage under the Pascal Cotat label. The vineyards are farmed according to organic principles without certification, and pesticides are not used.

Vineyard: Les Monts Damnés is one of the great vineyard sites of Chavignol, its name translating as the “damned mountains”—a reference to its extremely steep hillside. Cotat’s vines sit near the top of the slope, where the topsoil becomes exceptionally thin and the roots reach into the chalky mother rock. The vineyard is part of Chavignol’s terres blanches, with clay and limestone soils over a chalk-rich foundation. The Cotat family has worked vines on Les Monts Damnés since the end of World War II, making the vineyard central to the domaine’s identity. Its steep position, thin soils and chalk foundation give the wine concentration and structure while retaining the freshness and mineral character associated with Chavignol.

Winemaking: The fruit is harvested entirely by hand, with Cotat traditionally picking later than many growers in Sancerre to achieve full physiological ripeness and greater concentration. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed and fermentation takes place naturally with indigenous yeasts in older demi-muids. The wine is then raised in older, larger tonneaux for more than a year, developing texture without a pronounced new-oak character. Racking follows the lunar cycle, and the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. It is a traditional approach that favors texture, concentration and complexity over a lean, overtly fruit-driven expression of Sauvignon Blanc.

Technical Details: 100% Sauvignon Blanc; 2025 vintage; Sancerre AOC; Chavignol, Loire Valley, France; Les Monts Damnés vineyard; vines situated near the top of the steep slope; clay and limestone soils over chalk; 30+ year-old vines; hand harvested; whole-cluster pressed; indigenous-yeast fermentation; fermented in older demi-muids; aged for more than one year in older, larger tonneaux; lunar-cycle racking; unfined and unfiltered; practicing organic farming; not certified organic.

Food Pairing: The concentration and texture of Les Monts Damnés make it particularly versatile at the table. Crottin de Chavignol is the classic local pairing, while oysters, scallops, lobster, crab and other shellfish work naturally with the wine’s freshness and chalky character. Its richer texture also makes it a strong match for grilled or roasted sea bass, turbot with beurre blanc, sole meunière and salmon. For white meats, pair it with roast chicken with herbs, veal, or pork with a light mustard or cream sauce. Aged goat cheeses and firm alpine-style cheeses are also excellent matches.

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