2009 Domaine François Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes

From recently acquired acreage plus a section of recently replanted vines – reflecting a mixture of steep slope and plateau – Francois Cotat’s 2009 Sancerre Les Caillottes smells of honeydew melon and Bosc pear; offers quite lush fruitiness on the palate, underlain by a suggestion of chicken stock; and finishes softly and with a bit of heat, though managing to retain a decent sense of primary juiciness. I would plan on drinking this over the next couple of years. In a sign of the vintage, Francois Cotat’s lightest wine from 2009 was his rose, which weighed in at 14.5% alcohol. The Sauvignons cluster around 15%. Cotat compares this vintage with 1989, whose wines were similarly ripe and full, but aren’t exactly classic Cotat, nor the most interesting of mature Cotat wines to enjoy today. That said, there is always an element of mystery in the glass (and not only there) at this address, and I’ll gladly be made a fool of by an old Cotat wine, which might one day turn out to be a 2009. (For more information about recent developments chez Cotat, see my report in issue 172.) A Peter Vezan Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011 33 1 42 55 42 93