Notify me
2021 Sancerre “Les Coutones”
Daniel ChotardGrandiose, 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: | 2021 |
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: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
France | Loire
Simply gorgeous, the Cris is sublimely perfumed, generous on the palate, and long and saline on the elegant finish.
2019 Sancerre Rouge “Champs d’Alligny”
France | Loire
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 Champs d’Alligny
France | Loire
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 Chinon Rosé
France | Loire
Matthieu Baudry captures both youthful fruit and energizing mineral textures with this rosé.
2020 Sancerre “Hameau de Reigny”
France | Loire
Simon refers to Hameau de Reigny as a “nature” wine. The result is textured and tropical-fruited, yet not so much a departure from the region’s typicity, as rather, a riff on it.
2021 Sancerre Rouge
France | Loire
Chotard has crafted a delicious, complex, and elegant rouge that gives many village Burgundies a run for their money.
2021 Sancerre “Cuvée Marcel Henri”
France | Loire
Welcome to depth, complexity, understatement, finesse.
2020 Sancerre Rouge “Le Chant de l’Archet”
France | Loire
The Chotards are some of the lucky few who have Sancerre parcels that are ideal for growing Pinot Noir, and theirs have been planted to Pinot for well over fifty years, so the vines are at full maturity.
2022 Sancerre
France | Loire
An intense exotic nose lures you in before the minerality channels the lightning energy of this pure Sauvignon Blanc.
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
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Cuvée Sainte Narcisse”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2022 Saumur Champigny “Cuvée Domaine”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
1989 Vouvray “Bois Guyon”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2016 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Anjou Rouge “Clos de la Cerisaie”
Château d'Epiré France | Loire
2022 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Reuilly Pinot Noir
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Sancerre “Les Cris”
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil Rosé
Domaine de la Chanteleuserie France | Loire
2022 Sancerre
Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy France | Loire
2022 Grolleau “Franc de Pied”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
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