Daniel Chotard

Daniel Chotard is a wine estate in Reigny, Crézancy-en-Sancerre, with a family tradition of winemaking. Daniel, Marcel’s son, returned after a career in national education; his return marked the end of mixed farming. His son Simon joined the estate in 2011 after earning his oenology degree at ENSA in Toulouse.

The estate is surrounded by hills of Kimmeridgian clay-limestone marl and holds the monopole on Les Coutones, a steeply sloping parcel. By working the soil from late winter, the estate aerates it and dispenses with herbicides. All Pinot Noir and a large proportion of Sauvignon grapes are picked by hand, and the entire harvest is sorted manually at the winery. In the cellar, Simon monitors the wines, aiming to intervene as little as possible.