2009 François Cotat Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu

BY REBECCA GIBB MW | AUGUST 30, 2021

You know you’re in luck when you get a date with François Cotat. Despite his wines’ cult-like status, Cotat isn’t one for the limelight. Red carpets are not laid out for visitors. Donning his well-worn tracksuit, Cotat makes my jeans and Converse combination look positively dressy. 

The 2009 François Cotat Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu is a powerful white that comes from a warm season leading to ripe fruit and high alcohol (15%), which makes for a good comparison with the latest vintages - 2019 and 2020 - both dry, warm years that resulted in ripe wines. That said, Cotat pushes the envelope on ripeness, going late to pick his fruit from this very steep vineyard that rises high above the village of Chavignol. The 2009 has an excellent core of concentration, tannic intensity and long length. Heading towards maturity, you can expect lanolin and truffle characters with honey slathered on toast. Think Sauvignon can’t age? You haven’t tried the right Sauvignon. Cotat’s are certainly one of the appellation’s most idiosyncratic expressions. 93/Drink 2021-2027.