Alphonse Mellot, Sancerre Generation XIX Blanc 2018

Description

About the Producer

Domaine Alphonse Mellot, from the village of Sancerre on the Royale, is the oldest wine grower in the village, having celebrated its 500th anniversary only recently. Precisely documented in 1513, Alphonse Mellot is mentioned several times for its excellent vineyards and the quality of the wines it produces. As a winegrower and wine merchant, Château Alphonse Mellot has a very important position in the village. César Mellot was even appointed wine advisor by King Louis XIV in 1698. In the early 19th century, Alphonse Mellot set up an inn in the village of Sancerre where people could enjoy the local wines; in 1881, he obtained a license to sell his wines from the French mainland to the rest of the world. The Mellot family later decided to keep the name Alphonse for generations in honor of the founder. Today, Alphonse Mellot, father and son, continue this tradition, with Alphonse Sr. taking over the winery in 1970 and gradually passing it on to his son, Alphonse Jr. and daughter, Emmanuelle, to keep the family name shining in the wine world. The grapes of Alphonse Mellot come mostly from the best vineyards in Sancerre, and the famous Domaine La Moussière, with about 30 hectares of vineyards, is recognized as the "unbeatable" producer in Sancerre. Their vineyards are located at the southwest end of Sancerre, where the calcareous soil and subsoil are rich in all the elements necessary for the growth of grapes. The wines of Alphonse Mellot are made from Sauvignon Blanc, a small, dense grape variety that was planted a long time ago. The resulting white wine has a delicate, aromatic and fruity character, and is definitely a masterpiece of the Sancerre appellation Sauvignon Blanc. The Sancerre red and pink wines are made with Pinot Noir from the Vieux Clos Chambrastes vineyard, which has been in existence since Roman times. In 1988, the winery began to use organic and biodynamic methods to grow the grapes, reinforcing the family's philosophy of wine making. In 1999, the harvest was completely hand-harvested and the grapes were transported in small boxes to avoid premature oxidation of the fruit by crushing each other, which significantly improved the quality. Today, with a glorious history of five hundred years, the winery produces 270,000 bottles of wine per year, which are sold in 45 countries around the world, and has been recognized by wine critics year after year, which is the best proof that Alphonse Mellot has made Sancerre wines famous.