François Cotat has been working at the family estate since 1979 with his father, eventually succeeding him in 1998. This small, family-run estate in Chavignol (a village famous for its goat's cheese) owns plots located in Monts Damnés, Grande Côte and Culs de Beaujeu (where the hills can reach an angle of 45%!). Late harvests of over-ripe grapes give unctuous wines that generally contain a little residual sugar. These wines can easily be left for decades, and contribute to the continuing legend of the great wines of Sancerre. This area produces great Sancerre wines with impressive ageing potential. All the estate's wines are sold in advance every year, earning François Cotat his membership of the tightly-knit circle of Sancerre's "Popes" who never have any wine left over to sell, as all bottles are pre-booked.

Les Culs de Beaujeu is one of the jewels of the Sancerre appellation, in the heart of the Central Loire. Here, Sauvignon Blanc is planted on a steep, south-facing slope of Kimmeridgian marl rich in marine fossils, similar to the soils found in Chablis. This exceptional terroir gives the wine its incisive minerality, saline depth and outstanding ageing potential. The grapes, harvested by hand at full ripeness, sometimes with a touch of over-ripeness, are pressed slowly. Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in seasoned oak casks, without filtration, before the wine is aged on its lees for several months, without stirring.
The pale golden hue is bright and luminous. The complex nose reveals aromas of acacia blossom, preserved lemon, damp chalk, white orchard fruit and a subtle smoky note. The attack is broad, carried by finely chiselled tension and vibrant minerality, with refined bitterness leading into a long, saline finish.