Notes from North Berkeley Imports:

"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.

The Cotat family has tended both Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir on the slopes of the fabled “Monts Damnés” in Chavignol since the end of World War II; it was only in the 1990s when the two Cotat brothers, Paul and Francis, handed over the family domaine to their sons, François and Pascal, respectively.

Today there are two wineries—one in Chavignol, headed by François Cotat, and one in Sancerre, run by Pascal Cotat—yet both cousins craft wines from older Sauvignon Blanc vines located in Chavignol’s most-prized vineyards.

"These “damned mountains” provide the most chiseled, vibrant and deeply profound of Cotat’s stupendous Sancerre wines. Smoke, ripe pears, lemon zest.

Notes on vintage: Aromas of ripe pear, orange zest, lemon curd, light mushroom, beeswax. Full-bodied with balanced acid and supple texture."