2011 Francois Cotat Sancerre Grand Cote Blanc

Francois Cotat’s 2011 Sancerre La Grand Cote – like its Monts Damnes counterpart – finished dry and with around 14.5% alcohol. Musky and otherwise haunting flora scents suggestive of narcissus, peony, and rowan are joined by grapefruit and herbal essences for a striking nose; then reemerge on a silken, expansive, succulent Persian melon- and bittersweet nut-oil-informed palate. It’s amazing the sense of primary juiciness and transparency to floral, nutty, herbal, and stony nuances conveyed in the long finish here, despite the wine’s overall richness and high alcohol (which here generates only the merest hint of heat). I would expect this Grande Cote to be worth following for at least a decade. Wine Advocate 92