Francois Cotat

Wines from the Francois Cotat estate: buy at the best price

A t the origin Paul and Francis COTAT managed one estate, which was split in two between their 2 respective sons (François succeeding his father Paul and adding the inherited plots to those of his own estate in 1998, and Pascal, son of Francis who created the Pascal COTAT estate). François had already been producing his own range of wines from Sancerre under his name since 1987. With the addition of the superb plots that are La Grande Côte, les Mont Damnés and also le Cul de Beaujeu, one can now affirm that the Pascal COTAT estate is worthily represented in the greatest terroirs of Sancerre, but on a still limited surface of 4.2 Ha. The estate also produces a cuvée named les Caillottes, composed of younger vines. A rare Sancerre rosé is also produced by the estate.

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François Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes 2022

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 93926

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes 2022

€46.80 inc-VAT per bottle

€39.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2022 Magnum

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 93936

Color : White

Volume : 150cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2022 Magnum

€132.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€110.00 ex-VAT

11 in stock

Réf : 94120

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes 2022

€46.80 inc-VAT per bottle

€39.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2003 Magnum

2 in stock

Réf : 98147

Color : White

Volume : 150cl

Robert Parker WA : 88/100

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2003 Magnum

€180.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€150.00 ex-VAT

3 in stock

Réf : 103239

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2019

€48.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€40.00 ex-VAT

1 in stock

Réf : 103240

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2020

€54.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€45.00 ex-VAT

4 in stock

Réf : 103319

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2023

€46.40 inc-VAT per bottle

€38.67 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes 2023

2 in stock

Réf : 106746

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Les Caillottes 2023

€46.40 inc-VAT per bottle

€38.67 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 108451

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2018

€54.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€45.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2022

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 108459

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2022

€66.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€55.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 108454

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2022

€46.80 inc-VAT per bottle

€39.00 ex-VAT

2 in stock

Réf : 108931

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2018

€54.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€45.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 108930

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2019

€48.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€40.00 ex-VAT

3 in stock

Réf : 108929

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2022

€46.80 inc-VAT per bottle

€39.00 ex-VAT

3 in stock

Réf : 108928

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2023

€46.40 inc-VAT per bottle

€38.67 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 110833

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2022

€66.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€55.00 ex-VAT

Last one !

1 in stock

Réf : 117079

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Caillottes 2022

€46.80 inc-VAT per bottle

€39.00 ex-VAT

27 in stock

Réf : 122713

Color : Red

Volume : 75cl

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Vin de France | Vin de France

François Cotat Chavignol 2023 Rouge

€42.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€35.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte 2023

25 in stock

Réf : 122711

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte 2023

€54.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€45.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés 2023

27 in stock

Réf : 122710

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés 2023

€54.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€45.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte 2021

New

1 in stock

Réf : 127849

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte 2021

€66.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€55.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2009

New

3 in stock

Réf : 128565

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 90/100

Revue du Vin de France : 17.5/20

Bettane et Desseauve : 17.5/20

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Culs de Beaujeu 2009

€96.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€80.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte 2009

New

1 in stock

Réf : 128566

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Robert Parker WA : 90/100

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre La Grande Côte 2009

€90.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€75.00 ex-VAT

François Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés 2006

New

1 in stock

Réf : 128567

Color : White

Volume : 75cl

Wine Spectator : 91/100

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Loire | Sancerre

François Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés 2006

€84.00 inc-VAT per bottle

€70.00 ex-VAT

The TOP winemakers of Loire

Frequently Asked Questions

The François Cotat estate is located in Chavignol, a village attached to the commune of Sancerre, in the Loire Valley. It produces wines under the Sancerre AOC appellation, from renowned plots such as Les Monts Damnés, La Grande Côte, Les Caillottes and Les Culs de Beaujeu. Chavignol is an exceptional terroir, as famous for its goat's cheeses as for the remarkable quality of its Sauvignon Blanc white wines.

The François Cotat estate offers a limited and highly sought-after range of single-vineyard cuvées. The Sancerre Blanc "Les Monts Damnés", sourced from the iconic south-facing slope with its steep gradients and Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils, and vines over 50 years old, is considered the most refined of the estate. The Sancerre Blanc "Les Caillottes", sourced from a stony limestone plot, offers a fruity delicacy, a precise acidity and a more accessible saline minerality. The estate also produces red and rosé wines in very limited quantities from Pinot Noir.

The wines from the François Cotat estate are renowned for their extraordinary ageing potential. The short fermentation allows the wine to age peacefully during an extended stay in the cellar, with up to 30 years of ageing potential for its white wines. When young, they may seem compressed or reductive, but from 10 years onwards, they open up on aromas of cold rock, honey and a voluptuous minerality. Patience is therefore the key to appreciating these Sancerres at their full potential.

The history of the François Cotat estate is intimately linked to that of the Cotat family, who have been cultivating vines in Chavignol since the end of the Second World War. From the 1940s, brothers Francis and Paul Cotat laid the foundations of the estate. François inherited the estate in 1998 and chose to remain faithful to traditional methods. His cousin Pascal Cotat runs a separate estate based in Sancerre, thus perpetuating the family legacy under two distinct names.

The harvest is done by hand, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, and the wines are not filtered: the Cotat method is simple but transcends Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are pressed in whole clusters using an old vertical wooden press, then fermented in old demi-muids and aged in old barrels. This minimalist approach, unchanged for decades, aims above all to allow the terroir to express itself with the greatest purity.

The white Sancerres from Domaine François Cotat, with their saline minerality and precise acidity, pair naturally with a wide gastronomic palette. These cuvées pair wonderfully with local goat's cheeses, seafood, and acidic dishes. The famous Crottin de Chavignol, produced in the same village as the domaine, is of course an essential terroir pairing. Noble fish such as sole, sea bass, and turbot, as well as shellfish like lobster and langoustines, also bring out the complexity and depth of these great Loire wines.

History of Domaine François Cotat

The history of Domaine François Cotat is intimately linked to that of the Cotat family, who have been cultivating vines in Chavignol since the end of the Second World War. From the 1940s, the brothers Francis and Paul Cotat laid the foundations of the estate, producing a single cuvée in a shared cellar but marketing it under two distinct labels for tax reasons. This family tradition, marked by minimalist winemaking, continued through to the 1990s. It was in 1979 that François Cotat, son of Paul, began his apprenticeship under his father, learning the essential skills of the winemaker's craft. He launched his first personal production in 1987, before officially taking over the reins in 1998, inheriting the family vines. In parallel, his cousin Pascal Cotat, son of Francis, founded his own estate in Sancerre, thus sealing the separation of the two branches while preserving the shared heritage. Today, François perpetuates this lineage with unwavering fidelity, perhaps training his son Clément to take over. This self-taught and discreet journey has forged the estate's mythical reputation.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine François Cotat

Domaine François Cotat extends over approximately 4 hectares of steep hillsides around Chavignol, a village attached to Sancerre and famous for its goat's cheeses as intense as its wines. The vines, composed of two-thirds Sauvignon Blanc and one-third Pinot Noir, thrive on unique soils: the Kimmeridgian "terres blanches", a chalky limestone similar to that of Chablis, mixed with clays and marls, which gives the wines their saline minerality and their capacity for ageing. Among the mythical plots inherited from the grandmother "Thomas", three informal "grands crus" dominate: Les Monts Damnés (1 hectare, impressive south-facing slope of up to 60%, clay-limestone soils at the bottom and white Portlandian soils at the top, yielding smoky and lively notes); La Grande Côte (0.9 hectares in Amigny, south exposure, Kimmeridgian marls for an evolving mineral amplitude); and Les Culs de Beaujeu (0.7 hectares, extreme gradient of 45%, fossilised gravelly soils and south-east exposure, offering a rich and structured elegance). Since 2005, Les Caillottes has been added (over 1 hectare, shallow stony limestone soils, more accessible in youth). The severely limited yields (35–40 hl/ha thanks to drastic pruning) and a reasoned viticulture, with occasional ploughing and minimal treatments, ensure grapes of high maturity. These steep terroirs, worked manually with rigorous sorting, make the estate a true treasure.

Vinifications at Domaine François Cotat

The winemaking at Domaine François Cotat is a hymn to tradition and non-intervention, unchanged for generations to preserve the vital energy of the wines. The manual harvests, always late for optimal ripeness, are carried out in small crates to avoid excessive crushing. At the spartan cellar in the alleyway of Chavignol, whole grapes undergo precise pneumatic pressing, producing little lees. The short fermentations, conducted solely with indigenous yeasts, avoid "tiring" the wine; a light final lees-stirring promotes clarity without fining or settling. Two natural rackings, moderate sulphiting (at harvest and at rackings to prevent refermentation), and ageing in old foudres and demi-muids (7–8 years for the Cuvée Paul) precede an early bottling before summer, without filtration for maximum purity. François even follows the lunar cycle for rackings, and chaptalisations are rare when needed. This minimalist approach, without added yeasts or new oak, reveals the terroir in its finest expression, yielding rich, vibrant wines of exceptional ageing potential, up to 30 years for the whites. For the confidential Pinot Noir reds and rosés, no full malolactic fermentation, reinforcing their atypical character.

The Cuvées of Domaine François Cotat

Domaine François Cotat offers a limited but emblematic range of single-plot cuvées, produced in confidential quantities (approximately 30,000 bottles per year), all reserved from one year to the next. These wines, often acclaimed by international critics, demand patience: in their youth, they may seem compressed or reductive, but from 10 years onwards, they open up to aromas of cold rock, honey and voluptuous minerality.

Sancerre Blanc 'Les Caillottes': From a stony limestone plot purchased in 2005 (vines of 15–20 years), this more accessible cuvée offers a fruity delicacy, chiselled acidity and saline minerality. More neutral in youth, it evolves towards tropical complexity, ideal for a moderately aged white wine purchase (10–15 years).

Sancerre Blanc 'Les Monts Damnés': From the iconic south-facing hillside, with its steep slopes and Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils (vines>50 years), this wine is the most chiselled: smoky notes, strict acidity, fine salinity and deep minerality. A structured, lively Sancerre without a marked varietal character, for ageing of 20–30 years.

Sancerre Blanc 'Les Culs de Beaujeu': From the steepest plot (70 ares, south-east exposure, fossilised gravelly soils), this mineral and ample white excels through its rich elegance, aromas of white fruits and grapefruit, and precise acidity. A hidden great structure, it rewards after 15 years with a creamy and saline texture.

Sancerre Blanc 'La Grande Côte': On Kimmeridgian marls in Amigny (vines>40 years), this deep and energetic cuvée evokes Chablis: laser-like minerality, vibrant salinity, evolving towards notes of honey and rock. The most ample, with an exceptional ageing potential (up to 50 years in the greatest vintages).

Cuvée Paul: Formerly "Cuvée Spéciale", this rare single-barrel selection brings a hint of residual sugars for a balsamic roundness. Sometimes off-dry, it magnifies the richness of the terroir for a phenomenal longevity.

Chavignol Rosé (Vin de France or Sancerre Rosé): From 0.5 hectares of old Pinot Noir (90 years, north exposure, co-planted with Gamay), this confidential rosé is complex, mineral like a Chablis, with a surprisingly ageing potential. It offers fruity and saline nuances.

Chavignol Rouge (Vin de France): From the same Pinot Noir origin, this red yields a light, fruity and mineral wine, without the Sancerre appellation designation.

These mythical cuvées, among the greatest informal grands crus of Chavignol, pair wonderfully with local goat's cheeses, seafood or tangy dishes, and reveal their full potential after patient cellaring. Discover the other estates of the Sancerre appellation such as the Alphonse Mellot domaine, Henri Bourgeois and Vacheron at Vins & Millésimes, which offers you the opportunity to buy online the finest bottles of wines and grands crus. All our wines are in stock and available for fast delivery! Discover the bottles and Magnums from Domaine François Cotat available for purchase!