Structure

Bodyfull
Tanninlow
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oaknew oak

Drinking window

Latest scored vintage 2020: best 2023 to 2040.
vintage3 yrs20 yrs22 yrs

Critic scores

CriticVintageScore
Vinous reviewed 2023202093/100

Scores as published by each critic for the vintage shown.

In the glass

Full-bodiedLow tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

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

  • 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.

  1. 1998: Pascal Cotat continues independent bottling of Grande Côte

Facts

Producer
Domaine Pascal Cotat · visiting guide
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

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.

Tags

cellar worthy cult wine dry full body high acid mood contemplative mood elegant mood savoury occasion cellar occasion dinner party occasion special old vines old world pairs with aged cheese pairs with shellfish pairs with soft cheese pairs with white fish price fine sauvignon blanc single vineyard still white

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