2005 Francois Cotat Sancerre Les Monts Damnés

Francois Cotat is in Chavignol, in the Sancerre region of France’s Loire Valley. The domaine was until about 20 years ago part of a larger domaine owned by the brothers Francois and Paul, but they retired and passed it on to their sons, who now bottle under their own names. The younger Francois makes wines in what the French call the biodynamic, or natural method, meaning the grapes are grown organically and tended and harvested by hand. Additional sugar, yeasts and sulfur dioxide are avoided during harvest. Cotat is also known for harvesting later than most of his neighbors. The domaine’s slopes are steep and chalky, which adds minerality to his cuvees.

The Loire Valley in central France is home to numerous important appellations and sub-appellations. Its 185,000 vineyard acres include 87 appellations in Anjou, Samur, Touraine and Chinon, among other areas. The Loire River, which stretches from Nantes on the Atlantic Coast to Orleans, about 80 miles south of Paris, has been a boon to winemaking in the region ever since the Romans planted vineyards some 2,000 years ago. The river moderates the climate in the Loire Valley, which in the 11th and 12th centuries produced wine that was more prized than the wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy. Today the Loire Valley is best known for its white wines, though it actually produces as much red and white wine. The prestigious white wines of the region are Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, Muscadet and Vouvray. The white grapes most frequently grown are Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne. The best red wines are typically Cabernet Franc or Gamay. Though Loire Valley wines are widely admired in France, outside of the country they suffer from a lack of recognition. In writing about Loire wines, Hugh Johnson has noted that the “classic word for them is charming; the classic mystery that they are not more appreciated outside of France.”

This crisp, dry white wine hails from France but is grown in wine regions around the world. In California, it is sometimes called Fume Blanc; while in Sauternes, it is a component of their famous dessert wines.