Domaine Francois Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes 2023

François Cotat is one of the last true artisans of Sancerre — a grower whose wines look like almost nothing else from the appellation and age in a way that most Sauvignon Blanc producers cannot conceive of. Vinification at Domaine François Cotat is a hymn to tradition and non-intervention, unchanged for generations — no commercial yeasts, no new wood — an approach that reveals the terroir at its purest, producing rich, vibrant wines with exceptional ageing potential of up to 30 years for the whites. Les Caillottes comes from a limestone parcel acquired in 2005 with vines of 15 to 20 years of age — the most accessible cuvée in the range, offering delicate fruit, chiselled acidity and saline minerality. 

Within the Cotat hierarchy, Les Caillottes is the entry point — but entry point is relative. This has superb dimension unlike almost any other Sancerre: bright lemon, fresh ginger and white pepper perfumes hover over a stony, rocky minerality, while the palate is made rich with a sensation of silky, full-bodied white fruits — chiselled and pure, with layers of concentrated flavour. Wild gooseberry, citrus peel and crushed rocks on the nose, with both phenolic grip and elevated acidity on the palate, cut through by just a touch of texture — serious concentration for a wine at this level in the Cotat lineup. Young bottles can seem compressed and reductive; give them time and they reward patience generously.