Went last night to an interesting event at Pearl & Ash, near the old Stuyvesant place on the Bouwerij. With the help of some of the attendees, and his usual alacrity in responding to interesting offers, Comrade Patrick assembled some recent and older vintages of various wines from the cousins and brothers Cotat in Chavignol for a group of 12 to sample at the communal table (this was part of Patrick’s regular Renegade wine dinner series). You will recall that the brothers Francis and Paul made the wines together in the cellar in town until 1996 or so, when they handed things over to their sons Pascal and François (respectively). Pascal moved up the hill to the place behind his auto garage, while François kept the ancestral cellar in Chavignol. They split the vines. Francis assisted Pascal for some time (he may still, it has been quite a while since I visited).
I used to get together with friends to taste each new vintage from these guys, and to decide what to buy, but it just isn’t possible anymore—you have to get your orders in. Prices are up, availability is down, as with so many wines.
I usually drink a bottle or two young, and put some away. Many of last night’s wines were in between for me, so an interesting spot that I don’t typically visit.
I quite liked most of the food last night as well, though Chef will have to be careful not to overcaramelize porcini, they can get bitter.
We started with a lone bottle of Culs de Beaujeu 2006 from François. I was slightly late, so my glass (poured earlier) had equilibrated to the room. In keeping with the vintage, it showed considerable power, but also a fair whack of alcohol. It got quite hot close to harvest in 2006, and sugars moved pretty fast on everyone in the eastern Loire. The '06s really need an ice bucket nearby.
The next course let us compare Monts Damnés from 2008. I liked both wines a lot. This bottle of Pascal’s MD was more open, with the redox dial set just a bit more towards oxidation than François’. F’s MD was tighter, earthier, less giving. I would drink either with pleasure.
The big flight compared Monts Damnés from 2007 and 2006 from each. Not surprisingly, I preferred the ‘07s to the ’06—less alcohol, more acid. These wines had a hint of richness from rs, but you wouldn’t call them sweet. Once again in the ‘07s, François’ MD showed more earth than fruit. The wines were controversial at our end of the table, but Pascal’s ’07 MD was one of the wines of the night for me, with great depth of fruit and mineral intensity, not to mention mouthwatering acidity. I also preferred Pascal’s ’06 to Francois’, it showed more fruit while retaining good minerality. So, in this group, P>F and 7>6.
We moved on to rosés. The 2011s were quite dissimilar. François’ was pale, delicate, and delicious. Pascal’s was much darker, more tannic, showing more skin, so to speak. Today, you want François. In a decade, it will be interesting to compare.
Another big flight compared the rosé ‘10s and ‘08s. Pascal’s ’10 was again much darker than François’. F’s was pale, tasty, really showing well. P’s was really not bad at all, showing less tannin than the ’11. In ’08, the colors reversed—F’s was darker here, though the difference wasn’t dramatic. Pascal’s also showed a bit oxidized—maybe the cork, or a shipping issue on this bottle? Hard to say. Great acidity on the 2008s.
We finished with some old rarities (though both are still in my cellar), Cuvées Spéciales from 1999 (P) and 1996 (joint, though a Francis label. The old brothers used different labels on the identical wines they produced together). The ’99 was closer to what you would think of as Sancerre, with only a bit of rs. It’s still young wine. The ’96 was its usual freakish self—rs, botrytis, lychee, crazy ripe stuff with a fair bit of alcohol showing. It’s a monster, but a fun monster.
I have historically struggled with mnemonics to remember which cousin’s wines I should buy, and this tasting didn’t resolve it for me. Sometimes one way, sometimes another. And we didn’t get into Grande Côte at all.
A fun night, great company, and I know there are comrades with different views, so let the controversy begin!
I used to get together with friends to taste each new vintage from these guys, and to decide what to buy, but it just isn’t possible anymore—you have to get your orders in. Prices are up, availability is down, as with so many wines.
I usually drink a bottle or two young, and put some away. Many of last night’s wines were in between for me, so an interesting spot that I don’t typically visit.
I quite liked most of the food last night as well, though Chef will have to be careful not to overcaramelize porcini, they can get bitter.
We started with a lone bottle of Culs de Beaujeu 2006 from François. I was slightly late, so my glass (poured earlier) had equilibrated to the room. In keeping with the vintage, it showed considerable power, but also a fair whack of alcohol. It got quite hot close to harvest in 2006, and sugars moved pretty fast on everyone in the eastern Loire. The '06s really need an ice bucket nearby.
The next course let us compare Monts Damnés from 2008. I liked both wines a lot. This bottle of Pascal’s MD was more open, with the redox dial set just a bit more towards oxidation than François’. F’s MD was tighter, earthier, less giving. I would drink either with pleasure.
The big flight compared Monts Damnés from 2007 and 2006 from each. Not surprisingly, I preferred the ‘07s to the ’06—less alcohol, more acid. These wines had a hint of richness from rs, but you wouldn’t call them sweet. Once again in the ‘07s, François’ MD showed more earth than fruit. The wines were controversial at our end of the table, but Pascal’s ’07 MD was one of the wines of the night for me, with great depth of fruit and mineral intensity, not to mention mouthwatering acidity. I also preferred Pascal’s ’06 to Francois’, it showed more fruit while retaining good minerality. So, in this group, P>F and 7>6.
We moved on to rosés. The 2011s were quite dissimilar. François’ was pale, delicate, and delicious. Pascal’s was much darker, more tannic, showing more skin, so to speak. Today, you want François. In a decade, it will be interesting to compare.
Another big flight compared the rosé ‘10s and ‘08s. Pascal’s ’10 was again much darker than François’. F’s was pale, tasty, really showing well. P’s was really not bad at all, showing less tannin than the ’11. In ’08, the colors reversed—F’s was darker here, though the difference wasn’t dramatic. Pascal’s also showed a bit oxidized—maybe the cork, or a shipping issue on this bottle? Hard to say. Great acidity on the 2008s.
We finished with some old rarities (though both are still in my cellar), Cuvées Spéciales from 1999 (P) and 1996 (joint, though a Francis label. The old brothers used different labels on the identical wines they produced together). The ’99 was closer to what you would think of as Sancerre, with only a bit of rs. It’s still young wine. The ’96 was its usual freakish self—rs, botrytis, lychee, crazy ripe stuff with a fair bit of alcohol showing. It’s a monster, but a fun monster.
I have historically struggled with mnemonics to remember which cousin’s wines I should buy, and this tasting didn’t resolve it for me. Sometimes one way, sometimes another. And we didn’t get into Grande Côte at all.
A fun night, great company, and I know there are comrades with different views, so let the controversy begin!