Pascal Cotat Sancerre Grande Cote Cuvee Speciale 1999 Bouteille (75cl)
The 1999 Pascal Cotat Sancerre Grande Côte Cuvée Spéciale is a Loire white wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, crafted by Domaine Cotat in the Sancerre appellation. This cuvée comes from the lieu-dit La Grande Côte in Chavignol, known for its steep south-facing slopes and Kimmeridgian clay-limestone soils. A tasting published shortly after its release already highlighted a mineral and chalky expression, a straight and lively palate, and a persistent finish.
La bouteille proposée
- Size
- Bottle (75cl)
- Label Condition
- Perfect
- Fill Level
- Perfect
- Capsule Condition
- Perfect
Identité du vin
- Couleur
- White
- Pays
- France
- Région
- Loire
- Appellation
- Sancerre
- Producteur / Domaine
- Domaine Cotat
- Cuvée
- Cuvée Spéciale
- Millésime
- 1999
Cépage et assemblage
- Grape Variety
- 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Domaine Cotat
Under the generic appellation "Domaine Cotat" are grouped two independent Sancerre estates: those of cousins François Cotat and Pascal Cotat. Heirs to the same family lineage in Chavignol, they separately cultivate renowned parcels of Sauvignon Blanc, notably in Les Monts Damnés and La Grande Côte; François Cotat also farms Les Culs de Beaujeu and Les Caillottes.
- Owner
- François Cotat et Pascal Cotat, chacun à la tête d’un domaine distinct issu du partage familial
- Surface (ha)
- 7.40 ha
- Production (average bottles per vintage)
- 52800
Histoire du domaine
The Cotat family has been cultivating vines in Chavignol since the 1940s. Brothers Paul and Francis Cotat worked their vineyards and vinified in a shared cellar, while commercializing the wines under distinct labels. François, son of Paul, joined his father in the late 1970s and began producing Sancerre under his own name in 1987. In 1998, upon the retirement of the previous generation, the family wine estate was divided: François took over Paul's vines, while his cousin Pascal received those of Francis. Since this handover, François Cotat and Pascal Cotat have run two legally and technically independent estates. Figures available from La Revue du vin de France indicate 4.9 hectares and approximately 38,000 bottles per year for François, compared to 2.5 hectares and approximately 14,800 bottles for Pascal, totaling 7.4 hectares and 52,800 bottles for the combined entities in this profile. Older sources attribute the vinification of the Pascal Cotat estate to Francis Cotat, but this responsibility could not be confirmed as still current.
Cuvée Spéciale
La Cuvée Spéciale is a distinct bottling of Pascal Cotat's Sancerre La Grande Côte, documented separately from the standard cuvée. Professional sources describe it as a limited-production selection crafted for an importer, originating from the same parcel terroir of La Grande Côte.
- Cuvée creation year
- 1999
- Style of the cuvée
- An ample, concentrated, and deep white Sancerre, combining pronounced fruit maturity with lingering mineral tension. Its profile is built for prolonged bottle aging.
- Position within the range
- A rare and superior bottling of La Grande Côte, distinct from the usual parcel bottling.
Histoire de la cuvée
The Cotat family estate had already produced Cuvées Spéciales in 1989, 1995, and 1996, prior to the division of the vineyards between François and Pascal Cotat in 1998. Under Pascal Cotat's own label, La Grande Côte Cuvée Spéciale is documented starting from the 1999 vintage, and subsequently notably in 2000, 2002, 2003, and in later vintages.
