Pascal Cotat
The Domaine Pascal Cotat represents the craft face of the great wines of Sancerre. For Pascal, cultivating the vineyard and making wine is a family tradition, based on an ancient savoir-faire and an authentic and direct relationship with the land. The unbreakable bond with the places that have always been part of his life and the awareness of the vineyard's value as an essential center of his activity are the two guiding points that have always directed his work. Thanks to his tenacity and consistency, despite a small vigneron's business size, Pascal Cotat has managed to capture the attention of the French critics and the most attentive enthusiasts worldwide, with a range of high-level wines that coherently and sincerely express his idea of wine and his exclusive relationship with one of the most vocated terroirs in the world for the production of great whites, fresh, intense, and refined.
The estate of Pascal Cotat is located near Chavignol, a small town situated within the Appellation Sancerre. The indication of the precise location of his activity might be superfluous for many other wineries in the area, but it becomes fundamental for a winemaker so intimately connected to his land and traditions. The Cotat family has been cultivating vineyards in this area since the post-war period, and Pascal owns a tiny estate that extends over only 2.5 hectares cultivated with the historically present grape varieties in this area: 2.4 hectares are dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc and 0.1 hectares to Pinot Noir. We are talking about approximately 15,000 bottles a year, a drop in the ocean of a denomination like Sancerre, which, however, has managed to emerge from anonymity thanks to Pascal's talent.
The vineyards are located on gentle slopes at the foot of the Monts Damnés of Chevignol, cultivated with manual labor and managed with great care and attention, following the principles of organic farming, even though the company is not certified. The soils are predominantly composed of Kimmeridgian limestone and are particularly suited for the cultivation of white grape varieties. All harvesting operations are carried out manually, with a rigorous selection of the best bunches in the vineyard. In the winery, a philosophy based on minimal intervention is followed, allowing the grapes to express their full potential without enological mediations. The fermentations are carried out using only indigenous yeasts, and the wine matures in old barrels, which allow for micro-oxygenation without any transfer of woody notes. The wines are bottled without filtration, in order to preserve their full and rich expressive integrity.
The Domaine Pascal Cotat represents the craft face of the great wines of Sancerre. For Pascal, cultivating the vineyard and making wine is a family tradition, based on an ancient savoir-faire and an authentic and direct relationship with the land. The unbreakable bond with the places that have always been part of his life and the awareness of the vineyard's value as an essential center of his activity are the two guiding points that have always directed his work. Thanks to his tenacity and consistency, despite a small vigneron's business size, Pascal Cotat has managed to capture the attention of the French critics and the most attentive enthusiasts worldwide, with a range of high-level wines that coherently and sincerely express his idea of wine and his exclusive relationship with one of the most vocated terroirs in the world for the production of great whites, fresh, intense, and refined.
The estate of Pascal Cotat is located near Chavignol, a small town situated within the Appellation Sancerre. The indication of the precise location of his activity might be superfluous for many other wineries in the area, but it becomes fundamental for a winemaker so intimately connected to his land and traditions. The Cotat family has been cultivating vineyards in this area since the post-war period, and Pascal owns a tiny estate that extends over only 2.5 hectares cultivated with the historically present grape varieties in this area: 2.4 hectares are dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc and 0.1 hectares to Pinot Noir. We are talking about approximately 15,000 bottles a year, a drop in the ocean of a denomination like Sancerre, which, however, has managed to emerge from anonymity thanks to Pascal's talent.
The vineyards are located on gentle slopes at the foot of the Monts Damnés of Chevignol, cultivated with manual labor and managed with great care and attention, following the principles of organic farming, even though the company is not certified. The soils are predominantly composed of Kimmeridgian limestone and are particularly suited for the cultivation of white grape varieties. All harvesting operations are carried out manually, with a rigorous selection of the best bunches in the vineyard. In the winery, a philosophy based on minimal intervention is followed, allowing the grapes to express their full potential without enological mediations. The fermentations are carried out using only indigenous yeasts, and the wine matures in old barrels, which allow for micro-oxygenation without any transfer of woody notes. The wines are bottled without filtration, in order to preserve their full and rich expressive integrity.
