Francois Cotat, Sancerre, Grande Cote

Drank with friends, no formal note. This is beautiful, and only got better as it took on oxygen. Vibrant acidity balanced with great texture and good body. Seamless with significant depth. Grapefruit, pear, canned mandarin juice, great minerality. I'd drink over the next five years.

2008 vintage

Decanted for 6 hours. Stunning as my good friend M. Due would say. Slight ox, very long finish.

2008 vintage

Trip through France tasting event. Our first white of the evening. For Loire I chose one of my favorite Sancerre producers. Sadly I felt that this bottle underperformed. Contrary to the Mont Damné and the Cul de Beaujeu this lacked substance. Give it another 5 years and it should straighten out. Pale straw color. Nose of grapefruit zest, nectarine, elderflower and very light pyrazines. On the palate, grapefruit, pomelo, nectarine, elderberry liqueur (Saint Germain) wet stone. Light-medium acidity and a …

2022 vintage

Just the right amount of reduction. Fantastic but still a long life ahead

2008 vintage

Needed about an hour of air to open up. Incredibly rich and opulent white. Tropical fruits and grapefruit with lovely sweetness mid palate. Long finish. Editing this because I finished the last glass two days later and it was really incredible. Flavors mix more integrated, incredibly rich yet smooth mouthfeel. Really stunning. I would raise my score to 94/95 after the additional air.

2008 vintage

Tendre en attaque avec une bonne part de sucre résiduel, trop présente à mon goût, plus qu'à l'habitude même selon les standards du domaine qui nous a habitué à cette richesse. On dirait un demi-sec! La finale est complexe mais pas encore aboutie, encore bien serrée, le vin n'a pas développé la longue finale saline que cette cuvée arbore souvent. Sans doute trop jeune encore, à revoir dans 5-10 ans en espérant une plus grande minéralité. 91++ pts

2010 vintage

Lunch GVDMQS du 29 août 2025 : J'ai eu la chance de boire souvent ce vin et je ne l'ai pas plus reconnu, même si nous avons rapidement identifié l'appellation avec ce nez typé sauvignon, de citron confit, finement herbacé. La bouche est d'une densité et d'une énergie exceptionnelles, dans un ensemble parfaitement équilibré, profond, savoureux et complet. Un grand vin. 95-96 pts

2008 vintage

Funny, at this age, still smells like sancerre. And still has length.

2008 vintage

This has aged very well and is in a perfect spot right now! Medium+ intensity on the nose with ripe gooseberry, ginger, minerality, white and yellow flowers, blossom, honey, flinty, nutmeg. Medium+ acidity, long finish with some residual sugar

2010 vintage

Excellent..une fraicheur absolument remarquable.

2006 vintage

J’ai une grande affection pour ce vin qui m’a procuré tellement de plaisir et d’émerveillement au fil des années. Cette dernière bouteille est de la même lignée. Une puissance bien domptée, un côté tendre en attaque, avec un milieu de bouche sec et crayeux, d’une concentration rare, citronné, avec des notes de fruit de la passion. La finale est longue et belle, très saline, presque tannique. Il paraît encore jeune. Magnifique Sancerre. 94+ pts

2008 vintage

Bright yellow. Tropical fruit, citrus, and light varietal herbal notes. Glycerine and just achingly textural. Off dry, rich entry, an underpinning of great acidity and stone, and an endless finish. Quintessential Cotat brew of exoticism and great structure. Singularly great wine that should easily carry on for another decade. Wow.

2010 vintage

Lovely aged Sancerre. Light golden yellow color. Shows its maturity with a soft pallet. Everything is toned down but still very much in balance. There were some very small floaters in the wine. Looked like left over lees to me, not the cotton balls described in previous notes. Drinking well but on the back side so drink up.

2008 vintage

Less acidic and crisp than typical Sancerre. Rounder and riper.

2022 vintage

Un très grand blanc, d’une densité et d’une plénitude extraordinaires. Il est à la fois dense et léger au palais, très savoureux et complexe, avec sa longue finale saline. 95 pts

2008 vintage

This is a sensational Sancerre. It is delicious right now but has a lot of upside potential. No crime to open one now but better in the future.

2022 vintage

화이트는 보르도로 가던 뉴질랜드로 가던 미국으로 가던 너무 쩅하던가 비리던가 오키하던가 한데.. 상세르가 답이다. ㅋ

2022 vintage

Popped and poured. “Oh, hello friend!” This is what Sancerre is supposed to smell/taste like. Herbs and star fruit. Pyrazines are not prominent (long hang time has something to do with that). On the palate, the wine is dry and has simply wonderful acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and unbelievably chalky. This is a baby with a very bright life ahead. What a treat to get an early glimpse of the brilliance to come. …

2022 vintage

Un des plus grands millésimes de cette cuvée que j'ai pris. Il n’a pas déçu cette fois encore. Très sec malgré l’attaque tendre, ce paradoxe classique, d'un vin funambule, qui atteint l'équilibre idéal. Profond et délicieux, le vin est encore jeune! 95+ pts

2008 vintage

la Gloire de la Loire... one of the best Sancerre I've ever had, this was the 5th out of 6 purchased on release, every one has been superb, this is one of my most treasured bottles... bright and vibrant nose, citrus and delicate green tones, citrus blossoms too... residual sugar is quite obvious on the palate, full and rich, but fresh and balanced, a bit freakish but I love it, will be worth following many more years we accidentally created …

2010 vintage

Last bottle from a case purchased in 2017. Light yellow color, giving no hint of its age. An enticing nose of melon, pear with a whiff of nutmeg that immediately jumps from the glass. Everything perfectly in balance and drinking wonderfully today. Another great Cotat and a fitting way to finish the case, especially given that bottle #11 was suprisingly off.

2006 vintage

Sancerre à travers le temps (Chez François G.) : Un nez séduisant citron confit et menthe poivrée. Magnifique bouche équilibrée et très saline, aérienne. C’est très très long et complexe, avec un petit côté tendre exotique, un vin phénoménal! C'est le seul vin que je n'avais aucun doute d'avoir reconnu, le Grande Côte de François Cotat, pour l'avoir goûté quelques fois auparavant. Un grand Sancerre et tout simplement un grand vin! 95 pts

2008 vintage

Medium greenish yellow. Ripe stone fruit and citrus. Moderately sweet and full bodied, lacking a bit of intensity mid-palate. There is a hint of Sauvignon varietal character but mostly honey and ripe fruit backed by excellent acidity. This is essentially Vendange Tardive Sancerre. I liked it, but it is definitely odd and not for everyone, especially if you are looking for classic Sancerre.

2010 vintage

Notes d'Oliv. Il a tout dit ! Robe très claire, à peine jaune paille. Superbe nez précis, ouvert et d'une grande complexité, sur le fenouil, la verveine, de belles notes minérales presque pétrolées. Bouche puissante, ample et riche, avec une pointe de résiduels plus que probable mais qui n'est jamais alourdi, même si le fond de verre trop chaud. L'ensemble est remarquable d'impact et de présence sur le palais, sur de beaux goûts mentholés et finement exotique, avec également des …

2006 vintage

La robe d’un jeune vin, des reflets verdâtres plus que dorés. Nez subtil de fruits exotiques, de citron, un côté herbacé. L’attaque en bouche est tendre, voire molle. Le vin est léger et parait même dilué. C’est bien frais, élégant, agréable, mais je n’y trouve pas la dimension et la profondeur habituelles du crû. La finale est sèche, pierreuse, une certaine complexité. Rare déception pour un Cotat, qui réussit habituellement les petits millésimes, comme le suivant 2007 d’ailleurs. Le lendemain, …

2006 vintage

Ma bouteille offerte à l'aveugle. Vraiment étrange! Le vin était envahi par une odeur de parfum incroyable, chimique, on a vraiment spéculé sur l'origine de cette odeur et les blagues se faisaient aller car le vin avait séjourné dans une bouteille nettoyée de Mark Angeli La Lune Amphores, un vin nature. Toujours est-il que j'ai de la difficulté à noter ce vin : le nez était rebutant mais la bouche splendide, mure et texturée comme on l'attend. FLAW

2008 vintage

The residual sugar in this wine is really bothersome. It should be designated Sancerre Spätlese or Demi-Sec.

2010 vintage

À l’ouverture, des notes exotiques au nez, papaye, melon. Ça devient plus classique ensuite, des herbes fraîche, vanille, menthe poivrée. Un côté tendre aussi en bouche. L’air lui donne des airs plus classiques, il paraît plus sec. La longueur et la complexité, elles, ne se démentent pas. C’est profond, très frais bien sûr, avec un côté aérien très élégant, qui n’empêche pas une réelle puissance. Un vin encore très jeune, mais pas trop et il n’y a certainement aucune raison …

2008 vintage

On the sweeter side. Was great with fresh asparagus + vinaigrette but a little cloying on its own

2010 vintage

CDV Quel nez! La truffe jaillit du verre, embaume comme si elle venait d'être râpée!! Heureusement en bouche, elle se fait plus discrète et laisse place à un joli fruité sur les agrumes, du pamplemousse, et des fleurs blanches, qq épices. La texture est somptueuse, fraiche, acidulée, saline, aérienne et étirée. Très différent du 2009 opulent et suave presque oriental! 92/93

2008 vintage

2nd bottle from the case. Popped and poured using the Vinturi. Light yellow color, showing no visual signs of age. Gorgeous nose of pear, grapefruit and just a hint of nutmeg that jumps from the glass. Perfectly balanced with an excellent finish. It feels like this wine has now entered its sweet spot. While the Cotat wines can drink well young, they really benefit from some bottle age (I shoot for 10 years). I think I prefer the '05 La …

2006 vintage

Tasted blind. Something special, very rich nose, sweet white peach, apricot, apple, hint of lemon, very floral, blossom, honeysuckle. Very rich palate, where the greenish sauvignon/pyrazine is coming more upfront. Very herbal, rich fruit, absolutely some RS but the screeming acid is hide it all away from you, honeyed, hint of botrytis, perfect balance. Blind I thought vouvray (like Foreau) but then this came up....Great wine.

2010 vintage

Well, here's another experiment with a bottle of Cotat with strange, cotton ball-like floating particles. In this particular bottle, fewer of these floating things and what's there is smaller. When you fish them out, they are soft-definitely not tartrate crystals. The wine looks fine-light yellow with a green glint. Ripe Sauvignon nose with grapefruit and grass-much more typical than previous flawed bottles. Now this has excellent acidity, some pineapple in addition to the citrus, and that extra layer of texture …

2008 vintage

Opened after a flawed bottle of Mont Damnés. This too had floating cotton balls and an awful palate, although it retained some of the signature Cotat richness and texture. Beware 2008 at this address-many tainted bottles.

2008 vintage

Mes impressions ressemblent beaucoup à la bouteille bue il y a un an, mais sans que le vin n'ait été carafé cette fois-ci. Bien et très prometteur.

2008 vintage

Popped one. I can see why you like this as it has so much going on. I found I needed to adjust my expectations though as I was looking for more zest and higher acid in Sancerre and found this much more finished and aged (as it should be). Nothing wrong there, just my anticipation. One element I did not prefer that will stop me from rebuying was the dried honey aspect and possibly wood. When I drink Sancerre I …

2008 vintage

Couleur encore très pâle, forte acidité qui trahie son âge. Le vin est moins parfumé qu'à l'habitude, il y a un peu de citron et d'autres agrûmes. Encore une fois c'est un délice de boire du Cotat. 4/5

2008 vintage

Tried my last bottle.....still sweet and this is not what i expected upon purchase. Very disappointed as Cotat is one of my go to references for Sancerre. Tough to give it "points" as it is a pleasant wine but should not be sweet.

2010 vintage

A little disappointing compared to previous bottles - it just didn't seem to have the drive that made this so special on the other occasions. As it opened, both in the glass and by the end of the bottle, it did add weight, and length, but it just didn't deliver that raw acid punch that is my drug of choice. Others at the table really enjoyed it, and don't get me wrong, it was good, but the lines were a …

2008 vintage

Disappointed in this, was expecting lots of energy and minerals, shockingly flabby

2008 vintage

Masterclass Sancerre Domaine François Cotat by Moritz Peeters (Restaurant Dertien Rotterdam) : Not very expressive on the nose. Nice minerality with some residual sugar on the palate. Great balance, great wine.

2010 vintage

Bon le 1er soir (carafé 3 heures), encore meilleur le lendemain. Texture grasse et riche mais sans sucre résiduel évident - des arômes auxquels je suis moins habituée - fruits blancs murs, une pointe d'épices douces, une belle longueur.

2008 vintage

Superb. Started quietly with nervy lemon notes, but after 45 min open it really started to broaden and fill the mouth. Beautiful notes of tropical fruits. Maintained balance throughout. Long finish.

2008 vintage

The wine looks light gold colored. It smells like grapefruit, peach and pear. Long The body is medium/full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes long, deep. The wine has low acidity. Great Wine

2010 vintage

Au Filet, avec Michel et Natacha. J'ai bu quelques fois ce vin qui m'a toujours épaté, mais celle-ci fut la meilleure. Magnifique nez explosif, complexe, de citron, des herbes de Provence (!) La bouche a un coté sauvage, superbement épicé et herbacé, avec des extraits secs, donnant à l’ensemble une complexité et une longueur incroyables. C'est aérien et fougueux à la fois, pur et minéral, un vrai grand vin. 95 pts

2008 vintage

Elegant with lots of latent power. You feel the concentration of flavors at the end of this wine, the entry is quite clean. This wine reaffirms that Sancerre is really my favorite style of Sauvignon Blanc - not green and austere, but more elegant with slightly ripe fruit and a briny/ saline note that you get in Chablis. This salinity makes the wine very long and fresh.

2008 vintage

This was strange and very disappointing. I guess you would have to call it "flawed." I opened this at dinner with a few of my Wino friends and lo, and behold, it was noticeably sweet! This has never happened to me with a Cotat bottling and was totally unexpected. I was expecting the usual, mineral, citric qualities that I love in Sancerre and this was a total surprise. I have a few left so we shall see if this is …

2010 vintage

Somehow the bitterness and greenness of the grapefruit peel was out of balance this time with. I did not enjoy it this time although I think it tasted the same as last time.

2006 vintage

Nothing on the nose. Zip. But the palate makes up for that with quite rich, round stone fruit, peach pit, touch of salinity, and hints of dry, stony minerality on the finish. Acidity is moderate, but enough to provide decent balance. Mid-palate is strong, then the rush of minerality, but finishes a bit weak. Very enjoyable, but falls a little short as a reference wine in a great vintage.

2010 vintage

Very good. Finesse, broad taste with a super long finish. Some bitterness developped over time. It makes me rethink of my dislike of Sauvignon blanc. I usually hate the citrus fruit taste of the cheap Sauvignong blanc, but here it is a hint of grapefruit peel. Beautiful.

2006 vintage

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Francois Cotat, Sancerre, Grande Cote

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