Pascal Cotat Sancerre Les Mont Damnes 2024

Domaine Pascal Cotat Sancerre stands out as one of the most distinctive expressions of Sauvignon Blanc on the planet. These wines possess the rare ability to age gracefully for decades while balancing a lush, opulent richness with a sharp, vibrant precision. The Les Mont Damnes 2024 comes from a legendary, steeply sloped site in Chavignol and exudes great texture, effortless brightness, and a bone-dry expression. This is world-class Sauvignon Blanc of the highest order – and it’s over 30% off!

Pascal Cotat creates extraordinary wines that transcend both time and variety. His father, Francis, and uncle, Paul, began tending Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir on Monts Damnés in Chavignol – located in the western reaches of the Sancerre appellation – at the end of World War II. In the ‘90s, they passed the domaine on to Pascal and his cousin, François. Today, the family runs two wineries – one in Chavignol and one in the town of Sancerre – both crafting old-vine Sauvignon Blanc from some of Chavignol’s most desirable vineyards.

Chavignol is set upon a chalky plateau, similar to Chablis, with clay and limestone soils that the locals call “terres blanches.” Les Monts Damnes is one of the top vineyards in the land, perched on sheer hillsides with Kimmeridgian marl and limestone soils. Cotat hand harvests late in the season to ensure snagging the ripest fruit possible, enhancing his wines’ full texture and richness of complexity. Though he isn’t certified organic, he practices organic principles, forgoing pesticides, using native yeasts for fermentation, and following the lunar cycle for racking. After barrel-fermenting in used demi-muids and aging in large tonneaux barrels, he bottles all wines sans fining and filtering.

Fruit forward yet ultimately crisp and dry, this Sancerre is captivatingly plush and endlessly delicious! 2024 was a demanding, low-yield year for Sancerre, with high acid and elegant fruit marked by excessive rainfall and a cooler season than recent vintages. Aromas of ripe cantaloup, lime peel, and wild herbs dance in with a delightful greeting, coupled with flavors of peaches, grapefruit, lemon verbena, river rocks, and white peppercorn for something all at once penetratingly juicy, yet mineral-rich and braced with acidity.

This expansive, expressive Sancerre is one you do not want to miss – and will only get better and richer with age! Do yourself a favor and grab at least a few… I can promise you’ll be thoroughly delighted to enjoy this more than once!