2011 Sancerre les Monts Damnes

The Pascal Cotat 2011 Sancerre Les Monts Damnes – which was to be bottled in June – weighs in at 13.5% alcohol, a full degree lower than its 2009 counterpart and as such, needless to say, un-problematical. A luscious alliance of Persian and honeydew melons is seasoned with mint and coriander; wreathed in lily-of-the-valley; and suffused with savory saline suggestion of crustacean shells. Subtly creamy in texture yet with admirable lift; transparency to floral and mineral nuance; and a refreshing infusion of lime and grapefruit in its long finish, this intriguing and irresistibly succulent beauty ought to perform marvelously for the better part of a decade if not beyond. Pascal Cotat – for more on whose methods and (quite literally) garage winery, consult my report in issue 172 – perpetuated a family tradition of late harvest by not beginning to pick in 2011 until the second week of September, yet the results are moderate in alcohol (particularly when compared with those obtained by his cousin Francois, in most instances from neighboring vines) and in the case of the Mont Damnes evince a sense of both vivacity and levity exceptional for this vintage. As for mid-October harvested 2010, just wow! Taken together, these last two vintages show Pascal (with papa Francis still in support) on a roll. A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93