Among the vineyards of Sancerre, La Grande Côte is king.

When you taste a young François Cotat Grande Côte, you immediately sense its profundity, the intricate weave of layers and its taut depth. It's clearly a wine that holds a lot in reserve.

Unsurprisingly, Grande Côte is the hardest of Cotat's three single vineyard Sancerres to land in quantity. Being able to offer Grande Côte is a luxury.

La Grande Côte is in Chavignol, which is Sancerre's best area and one defined by its soil. Chavignol shares the same Kimmeridgian soil as the Chablis' top sites. Sancerres from Chavignol possess an emphatic tactile chalky minerality and kinetic energy.

François Cotat's Grande Côte may very well represent the pinnacle of Chavignol. It brings an expansive, complicated grandeur to the table without sacrificing any of the vigorous Kimmeridgian mineral core.

The 2016 Grande Côte works on a jaw-dropping scale. The vintage distilled and amplified the site's essence. Expect a powerfully elegant and especially long example of Grande Côte with citrus, herbs, gripping minerality and high-toned floral notes.

Along with Vatan and his cousin, Pascal, François Cotat is Chavignol's time-tested benchmark. Check out the best wine lists or carefully selected cellars and it's a safe bet that you'll find François Cotat's wines. The 2016 Grande Côte is a dramatic example of how impressive the wines are.

To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.

Joe Salamone

Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits