In the glass
Aroma: white peach, cool white fruit, stone, smoke
Palate: pear, grapefruit pith, stony persistence, saline texture
Cooler-facing Chavignol parcel where Sauvignon picks up white-fruit chill and stony persistence. The most lifted of Pascal Cotat's single-vineyard whites.
What it pairs with
-
Steamed lobster with drawn butter
Pure shellfish meets the wine's saline texture and full body; chalky finish handles the butter. -
Côte de turbot with hollandaise
Firm-fleshed fish and rich emulsion need the wine's textural weight and lifted finish. -
Pithiviers de chevre
Goat-cheese pastry from the Loire echoes the wine's lactic-mineral interplay. -
Salade niçoise
Tuna, olive and anchovy with the wine's salinity and grapefruit pith makes a Provence-Sancerre bridge.
History
Les Culs de Beaujeu is the cooler, north-west-facing of the three Cotat lieux-dits. Pascal's bottling shows the parcel's signature white-fruit chill and stony cut.
- 1998 — Pascal Cotat continues bottling Culs de Beaujeu as a single-vineyard cuvée
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Pascal Cotat
- Grapes
- Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
- Classification
- Sancerre AOC
- Oak
- Fermented in old oak barriques; aged on lees, no new oak, unfined and unfiltered
- ABV
- 13.5%
- Price
- EUR 70 to 120 at retail
- Drinking window
- 3-20 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1998
Scores
- Vinous 93 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2023)
Frequently asked about Sancerre Les Culs de Beaujeu
What does Pascal Cotat Culs de Beaujeu taste like?
White peach, cool white fruit, stone and smoke on the nose; pear, grapefruit pith, stony persistence and saline texture on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and a long, lifted finish.
When should I drink Pascal Cotat Culs de Beaujeu?
Drink between 3 and 20 years from vintage. The cooler facing of the parcel keeps the wine's lift across decades; the full body and acidity handle long cellar ages.
Where is Culs de Beaujeu grown?
On the cooler, north-west-facing side of the Chavignol slope in Sancerre. The exposure preserves white-fruit chill in the Sauvignon Blanc.
What food pairs with Culs de Beaujeu?
Steamed lobster, côte de turbot, pithiviers de chevre and salade niçoise are textbook matches; the wine's salinity and full body handle rich shellfish and pungent goat cheese.