Cotat Sancerre is simply some of the most singular Sauvignon Blanc in the world. These are wines that can age for decades effortlessly, and that marry a plush richness with a laser-like cut and energy. There is a generational change at Pascal Cotat; Sancerre native Aymeric Fleuriet will be taking over for Pascal as he eases into a well-earned retirement.
Sancerre from François Cotat is simply some of the most singular Sauvignon Blanc in the world. Devotees can tell you that what happens in this modest cellar in Chavignol is one part winemaking, three parts magic. Atypical yet arresting in their complexity, Cotat Sancerre is wine that can and should be aged for decades.
Since the early 1990s, winemaker Francis Blanchet has crafted this special selection of pure Sauvignon Blanc from fruit selected from his flint-rich vineyards. This unique terroir announces itself explosively: knock two vineyard stones together and you can’t help but be bowled over by the aroma of firecracker smoke.
In addition to a noble history stretching back some 1,000 years, Mattes-Sabran epitomizes all we love about the slow pace of life in the sultry south. The main house, once home to dukes, today welcomes international visitors while geese and lazy cats wander. Cicadas buzz in the afternoon heat; a well-worn table welcomes outdoor meals with shared bottles in the shade.
Southern French spirit, Burgundian soul. The partnership of Burgundian winemakers Anne Gros and Jean-Paul Tollot in Minervois sets a new standard for quality and character in the Languedoc. Finesse and precision are the two main characteristics of these Minervois wines—words more often used to describe Gros’ Burgundian crus rather than the concentrated reds of the south.
You can’t ignore the “gryphées,” or seashell fossils, that crunch underfoot as you walk through Pierre Durdilly’s vineyards in Moulin-à-Vent, as if the ocean were just over the next gentle hill. It’s this unique terroir, with its mineral complexity, that sets the family’s wines apart from other more rustic bottles from the region.
When does a non-cru Beaujolais wine taste and age like a fine Burgundy? When it’s crafted by a talented winemaker such as Paul Durdilly from Le Bois d’Oignt in southern Beaujolais. The town’s terroir secret is that many of its vineyards have soils that are pure limestone, the same “mother rock” of the Côte d’Or.
Once you taste the wines of Domaine Calot, you immediately understand the potential of cru Beaujolais. The family’s ancient vines, pure granite vineyards and philosophy in the cellar combine for a Morgon that is serious yet seductive, and certainly made for the long haul. Think fine Burgundy; not simple Beaujolais!
Régnié (reh-NYAY) is one of Beaujolais’ more harmonious crus, combining the floral perfumes of neighboring Brouilly with the complex, black-fruited flesh of Morgon. Two young winemakers are now the new face of Domaine des Braves, and the future looks very bright for great Gamay wines.
For nearly 300 years, the Vesselle family has been tilling the chalky soils of Bouzy and cultivating some of the village’s best-placed Pinot Noir vines. The family’s collection of top terroirs and generations of leadership in championing Pinot Noir is what makes their wines such eloquent examples of Blanc de Noirs Champagnes.