Many lavish claims are made about wines and wine people: as often as not, they are either wildly inaccurate or impossible to substantiate.  But as far as we know, no one can dispute Pascal Cotat's claim to be "king of the garagistes" - and he has the garage to prove it.  If you are a winelover enthralled by the irrepressible vitality of his wines you must first locate the Peugeot garage in the town of Sancerre if you wish to pay tribute.  Around the back - decidely

 less glamorous than the decidedly unglamorous front - you will find the mecca of all garages.  If you are lucky, the King will grant you an audience, seated regally (or not) upon his chosen throne:  a washbasin in the corner, near the plastic carboy that holds the entire production of perhaps the most spectacularly eccentric rose on the planet. 

Needless to say, Pascal is a unique character, and the living personification of his wines: gruff, boisterous, and unrestrainable, generous, spontaneous and totally natural. To his great credit, he respects each vintage for what it is, and  simply refuses to intervene.  As a result his wines change magnificently from one year to the next, much to the chagrin of the authorities who frequently deny him Appellation status. If he doesn't care, why should we?