Terroir
Located in the western half of the Sancerre appellation, Chavignol’s singular soils are called, in French, “terres blanches.” The region is essentially a chalk plateau (the same Kimmeridgian limestone as is found in Chablis). A top vineyard, ‘Les Monts Damnés,’ is perched on a steep hillside, facing south, with thin topsoils. François Cotat tends just over two acres of vines in ‘Damnés.’
Age of the vines: 30 years, on average.
Winemaking
Hand-harvested. Pressed (older, wooden vertical press) full cluster; fermented on indigenous yeasts in very old demi-muids. Aged in older tonneaux. Racked and bottled according to the lunar calendar. Bottled by hand, unfined and unfiltered.
