2004 Sancerre La Grande Cote

Francois Cotat’s 2004 Sancerre La Grande Cote offers ripe aromas of yellow plum, white peach, sauteed mushrooms, and ocean brine, with an exchange of floral, mineral, nut oils, herb, pit fruits, and citrus on the palate that is utterly fascinating and a clear, fine length. It is, however, marginally less dense or rich than one is accustomed to from the best vintages of this wine. Whereas with the aging of vines the concentration of the Mont Damnes and Culs de Beaujeu bottlings chez Cotat has risen over the past decade-plus, fruit from a portion of the Grande Cote that was replanted has been incorporated for the first time this vintage. (Neither Cotat, incidentally, has released any late-harvested “Cuvee Speciale” bottlings from either 2004 or 2005. However Francois Cotat retains a 2005 “Cuvee Paul” – bottled for his son – that combines late-harvested fruit of Culs de Beaujeu and Grand Cote; and last year he released a second bottling of 1996 Grande Cote Speciale possessed of superb clarity, minerality and richness, worth a search of the marketplace despite its high price.) A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93