Francois Cotat
Summary
François Cotat operates a small, family-run estate in Chavignol within France's Sancerre appellation, crafting terroir-specific Sauvignon Blanc wines from approximately 4 hectares of steep, limestone and silex-rich vineyards including Les Monts Damnés, La Grande Côte, and Les Culs de Beaujeu. His traditional approach includes late harvesting, indigenous yeast fermentation in old oak barrels, extended lees aging until summer or fall, and minimal intervention with no fining or filtration, yielding wines of remarkable complexity and aging potential that often challenge conventional appellation parameters.
Heritage & Leadership
François Cotat represents the continuation of a family winemaking tradition in the village of Chavignol within the Sancerre appellation of France's Loire Valley. The Cotat family has been producing wines in this region since the early 20th century, with François taking over his portion of the family vineyards from his father, Paul Cotat, in the 1990s. The original Cotat domaine was divided between François and his cousin Pascal, with each establishing their own independent operations while maintaining the traditional winemaking approaches that have defined the family's work for generations.
François operates his small domaine from the family's ancestral home in Chavignol, maintaining a deliberately limited production focused on expressing the distinctive terroirs of his vineyard sites. The transition from father to son represented continuity rather than change, with François preserving the methodical, unhurried approach to viticulture and winemaking that has characterized the Cotat name in Sancerre.
Vineyards & Wines
François Cotat's holdings comprise approximately 4 hectares of vineyards situated on the steep slopes surrounding the village of Chavignol in Sancerre. His parcels include sections of three of the most distinctive terroirs in the appellation: Les Monts Damnés, La Grande Côte, and Les Culs de Beaujeu. These vineyards feature the classic Kimmeridgian limestone and silex (flint) soils that define the finest sites in Sancerre, with each plot contributing different mineral expressions to the resulting wines.
The vineyards are planted exclusively to Sauvignon Blanc, the traditional grape of Sancerre, with many vines reaching advanced age. The steep slopes of these sites necessitate manual cultivation and harvesting, with some inclines approaching 50% gradient. Cotat produces single-vineyard bottlings from each of his main parcels, allowing the distinct soil compositions to express themselves individually. In certain vintages, he also produces a sweet wine called "Cuvée Paul" when conditions permit noble rot to develop, continuing a practice established by his father.
Philosophy & Practice
François Cotat's winemaking philosophy centers on minimal intervention and patience. Harvest typically occurs later than many of his neighbors, allowing for full phenolic ripeness. After manual harvesting, the grapes undergo gentle pressing followed by fermentation with indigenous yeasts in old oak barrels. Fermentations proceed at their own pace, sometimes continuing slowly through the winter months.
Unlike most Sancerre producers who bottle their wines in spring following the harvest, Cotat ages his wines on their lees in barrel until the following summer or fall, allowing them to develop greater complexity and structure. Sulfur use is minimal and added only when necessary. The wines are neither fined nor filtered before bottling, preserving their full character and aging potential.
This traditional approach occasionally places Cotat at odds with appellation regulations, particularly regarding residual sugar levels, as his late harvesting can result in wines that exceed the technical parameters for dry Sancerre. Nevertheless, he maintains these practices as essential to his expression of Chavignol's terroir, prioritizing the integrity of his winemaking philosophy over administrative considerations.