In the glass
Aroma: yellow apple, honey, chalk, white blossom
Palate: yellow plum, lemon curd, stone, saline finish
Pascal Cotat's south-facing Grande Côte sits on almost pure chalk, the same vein that runs through Chablis. Energy, precision and verve.
What it pairs with
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Plateau de fruits de mer
Full-body salinity and chalk carry oysters, langoustines and crab; long finish handles successive shellfish. -
Sole bonne femme
The wine's textural weight and lemon curd register handles white wine, mushroom and shallot sauce. -
Gougères
Burgundian cheese puffs and Cotat's chalky Sauvignon share a French classicism; gougères' Gruyère meets the wine's saline finish. -
Aged Selles-sur-Cher
Ashed goat cheese's nutty intensity finds a partner in honey and yellow-fruit aromatics over chalky structure.
History
La Grande Côte is the family's south-facing chalk parcel in Amigny. Pascal Cotat's bottling exemplifies the Chablis-like minerality the AOC's best growers prize.
- 1998 — Pascal Cotat continues independent bottling of Grande Côte
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 75 to 130 at retail
- Drinking window
- 3-20 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1998
Scores
- Vinous 93 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2023)
Frequently asked about Sancerre La Grande Côte
What does Pascal Cotat Grande Côte taste like?
Yellow apple, honey, chalk and white blossom on the nose; yellow plum, lemon curd, stone and saline finish on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and a long mineral finish.
When should I drink Pascal Cotat Grande Côte?
Drink between 3 and 20 years from vintage. The chalk vein gives the cuvée Chablis-like ageing capacity; mature bottles develop honey and stone-fruit depth.
Where is Pascal Cotat's Grande Côte grown?
A south-facing parcel in Amigny on almost pure chalk, the same vein that runs through Chablis.
What food pairs with Pascal Cotat Grande Côte?
Plateau de fruits de mer, sole bonne femme, gougères and aged Selles-sur-Cher are textbook pairings. The full body and high acid handle rich seafood and aged cheese.