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2020 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard

Grandiose, lavish Sauvignon Blanc from a small monopole holding that faces the rising sun, with a clay soil so dense and sticky the old-timers called it terre amoureuse (loving earth), for the way it clings to one’s boots. If the classic Sancerre above is a great blast from the past, the Coutones here is a glimpse of a great future.
—Chris Santini
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Sauvignon Blanc |
Appellation: | Sancerre |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Daniel Chotard |
Winemaker: | Simon Chotard |
Vineyard: | Planted in 1994 (1 ha), 2006 (.61 ha) |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone, Kimmeridgian Marl |
Aging: | After 1 year, wine is racked and aged 6 months in stainless steel before bottling |
Farming: | Lutte Raisonnée |
Alcohol: | 14.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
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2020 Sancerre Champs d'Alligny
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Previously blended into the domaine’s Sancerre rouge, the Champs d’Alligny is now its own bottling, a successful experiment if there ever was one.

2022 Sancerre
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An intense exotic nose lures you in before the minerality channels the lightning energy of this pure Sauvignon Blanc.

2021 Sancerre Rouge
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Chotard has crafted a delicious, complex, and elegant rouge that gives many village Burgundies a run for their money.

2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
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A fleshy, full-bodied Sancerre with great freshness and the ability to age in bottle for a few years after release.

2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
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Previously blended into the domaine’s Sancerre rouge, the Champs d’Alligny is now its own bottling, a successful experiment if there ever was one.

2020 Sancerre Rouge
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Chotard has crafted a delicious, complex, and elegant rouge that gives many village Burgundies a run for their money.

2019 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
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Age-worthy red from one of Chinon’s top sites, by a storied domaine.
About The Producer
Daniel Chotard
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmderidgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
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2018 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
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2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
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2022 Vouvray
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
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2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
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2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
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2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
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2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
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2021 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
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2021 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
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2018 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2020 Saumur Champigny “Outre Terre”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2022 Vouvray
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2018 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine “Gorges”
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil “Irène”
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Muscadet “Le Clos de la Butte”
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Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171