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Alphonse Mellot
The Mellot family, or at least the name, is not one new to viticulture and winemaking in and around Sancerre. The earliest records, which date from the beginning of the 16th Century, reveal their presence in the cellars and vineyards around the town, tending the vines and bringing up the wines. And as the years marched by the family remained prominent in this arena, perhaps reaching a high with the appointment of César Mellot as wine advisor to Louis XIV in 1698. Nevertheless, it is the name of Alphonse Mellot that today holds most resonance with Sancerre savants. During the 19th Century Alphonse established a tavern in Sancerre, giving him a firm foothold in the local wine trade; on the back of this he built up a market for the local wine throughout France and beyond. Such was his standing within the family that his descendents continue to bear his name, and today the 18th and 19th generations of the family - both Alphonse - control the business that grew out of the little tavern.
Alphonse senior came to take control of the estate in 1970, and was instrumental in steering the family business away from bulk wine towards a smaller, more focussed affair, with an ethos of quality rather than volume. Hence today the vineyard owned by the family is a manageable 47 hectares or thereabouts, cared for using organic methods since the turn of the century, although the Mellots had been following agriculture raisonée prior to that. In latter years it has, however, been Alphonse junior that has taken the lead, and today the duo work together to make and promote these wines.
The Domaine de la Moussière
The principal white wines of Alphonse Mellot are sourced from a single
vineyard covering more than 35 hectares, the Domaine de la Moussière,
which has a favourable south and south-west exposure, and is situated just to
the south-west of Sancerre. The soil is a Saint Doulchard marl, which appears to
be another term for the Kimmeridgien marls (or terres blanches) that
characterise some areas of Sancerre as well as Pouilly-Fumé and, of course,
Chablis. The vines are planted at a density of at least 8000 vines/ha, although
almost 14 hectares are planted at an impressive 10000 vines/ha. They are pruned
according to the Guyot or Royat Cordon methods, initially cared for along
organic lines as indicated above, although in recent years the domaine has gone
over to biodynamism, hence my encounter in early 2008 with the 2007 vintage - as
in my tasting notes below - at the Biodyvin tasting at
Chateau Fonroque in Bordeaux
(not where I was expecting to find a line-up of biodynamic wines from across the
Loire).
The wines made from this vineyard start with the entry-level cuvée La
Moussière, which is produced using the fruit of vines both young and old,
ranging from four to forty years, harvested by hand (as is the case for all
these Sancerres) and with a typical yield of 53 hl/ha. After harvest the fruit
is transported in small 25 kg crates, sorted on a table and then moved into the
winery on conveyor belt. The fruit is pressed and then cooled whilst it settles,
before temperature-controlled fermentation half in vat and half in new wooden
casks, and the end result is 20000 cases.
There is also an old vines cuvée, Les Romains, and there then follows two special cuvées of white Sancerre, starting with the Generation XIX, a cuvée named for 19 generations of the Mellot family. This is produced from 6 hectares of 87 year-old vines at a yield of 45 hl/ha, and then transported, sorted and handled as above, although fermentation takes place in 900 litre vats, where the wine also rests on its lees usually for between 10 and 12 months prior to bottling. There are just 500 cases produced. And the last of the white quartet is Cuvée Edmond, sourced from vines ranging between 40 and 87 years-old with a slightly lower yield of 41 hl/ha. Again it is the fermentation process that also marks this wine as different, with 60% fermented in new oak, the remainder split evenly between one year- and two year-old casks. The wine then rests on its lees for up to 14 months, before bottling; expect there to be about 2100 cases available in a typical vintage.
Red Sancerre
As for the reds, these too begin with La Moussière, which comes from 5.5 hectares of vines aged between 5 and 45 years, planted at 9-10000 vines/ha, and with a yield of 32 hl/ha. The fermentation process takes place in 60 hl wooden vats, beginning with a cold maceration lasting between 5 and 10 days, followed by alcoholic fermentation with punching down of the cap. The wine then goes into new oak, somewhere between 80-100% would be the norm, for between 10 to 18 months. There is also a rosé at this level, produced from the same plot.
It
is with the red cuvées higher up the scale that we move away from the Moussière vineyard, as the red Generation XIX is sourced from a 1 hectare
plot of older vines on Saint Doulchard marls, quite distinct from the La
Moussière vineyard. Yields again tell a tale of quality here, a typical value
being 21 hl/ha, and following a cold soak for up to 12 days the fermentation
takes place in 45 hectolitre vats. Afterwards the wine is pressed and then
transferred to new oak casks where malolactic fermentation occurs. After 14
months here the wine is bottled, with a production of just over 200 cases.
Similar treatment is afforded to La Demoiselles, the next red cuvée which is sourced from a
1.2 hectare plot on flinty clay soils, with yields of 26 hl/ha and fermentation
and then ageing in oak. There are typically 250 cases produced per annum.
Finally, at least for Sancerre, there is En Grands Champs, sourced from a
small plot of Buzançais limestone soil at the top of the Moussière vineyard.
Yields are about 24 hl/ha, and again this cuvée sees fermentation and ageing in oak.
Production here is limited to about 250 cases.
Finally, no review of Domaine Alphonse Mellot would be complete without mentioning Les Pénitents, the two most recent additions to the range. These are wines produced at the vin de pays level, from chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Having tasted the 2007 Chardonnay alongside the 2007 Sancerres it seemed to me that the wine spoke more of its origins, its terroir, than the grape variety. I haven't tasted its red stablemate as yet, but if the quality matches that found in the white then it will be a worthy and good value addition to the range.
The wines of Alphonse Mellot are ones which, I confess, have crept up on me. I have had the occasion over the years to try the occasional white, the occasional rosé, and found them very good. But it is only now, as I collate my notes and write-up new ones, on the 2007s, and previous vintages of La Moussière, notably the 2005 and 2006, that my eyes have finally been opened to the excellent quality here. This is a fine domaine which turns out exciting wines and I would rank them, if not at the top, then very close to the top of the entire appellation. And this is all the more remarkable when one considers the good value to be found in La Moussière, the entry-level wine. This is one that I will be buying and drinking more of, I am sure. (20/5/08)
Contact details:
Address: 18300 Sancerre
Telephone: +33 (0) 2 48 54 07 41
Fax: +33 (0) 2 48 54 07 62
Internet: www.mellot.com
Alphonse Mellot - Tasting Notes
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Alphonse Mellot Sancerre la Moussière 2007: This wine has a simply
delightful nose, being hugely expressive, freely throwing out aromas of pears and stones
fruits. The palate has a lovely weight, a fabulous style, some real grip. This is fresh and
vibrant, and vigorous. Excellent potential here. Hard to believe this is
entry-level. 17-18+/20 (April 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Les Romains 2007: From flinty soils. This is less
expressive than La Moussière, but it is still in possession of some delightful
fruit. The palate is full, weighty, grippy, perhaps even a little austere.
Brooding, yet rich in complex, crystalline, stony fruit. This has an impressive
style, and it should be great with further bottle age. Excellent. 17-18+/20
(April 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Génération XIX 2007: From a more chalky soil.
Reserved, minerally, but firm and tightly wound up. Great acidity, full of
substance, with fine grip. Like Les Romains, this is another for wine well set
up for the future.
Very attractive potential here. 17-18+/20 (April 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Cuvée Edmond 2007: Lots of fruit on the nose here,
this is very rich, but is also very expressive. The palate is creamy, seductive
but complete and elegant. A fine and stony composition, showing grip and style.
A great structure, this has plenty of potential. It needs cellar time.
17.5-18.5+/20 (April 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Les Pénitents Chardonnay (VdP des Coteaux Charitois) 2007: A
creamy and elegant style on the nose, with crystalline fruit, very fresh, although I
think it speaks much more of the region rather than the fruit. Lovely, elegant,
with fresh acidity, verve and good body. Very surprising, and very good.
16-17+/20 (April 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rosé La Moussière 2007: A gorgeous colour, a
deep sunset pink. Attractive, expressive, stony raspberry fruit, with a leafy
edge. Lovely, slightly peppery acidity, full and a touch weighty, this is nettly,
dry, fresh and delicious. Really very good. 16.5/20 (May 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussière 2006: A fresh and pale hue. Very
expressive nose, very rich in fruit; apples and pears. Delightful flesh on
entry, mouthfilling weight and plenty of substance and structure beneath it. It
has good acidity too, with some real depth and broad, fleshy, almost gritty
texture towards the finish. Very good indeed. Apples and cream and a little
pepper throughout, making for a delicious wine overall. 17/20 (May 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre
La Moussière 2005: Fabulous nose, very well defined and rich in
aroma. Carries the slight richness of honey on toast, with aromas of stone fruit
and pear. The palate has a fine vinosity, a beautiful composition showing
flavours just as suggested on the nose, with nice grip and a fine backbone. The
palate fans out towards the finish and there is a delightful length. Real
style here. I really must buy and drink more of these. 18/20 (May 2008)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre
Rosé La Moussière 2005: On inspection it has an appealingly elegant colour, a salmon-pink-orange hue,
rather close to the colour of onion skin.
On the nose it is delightfully fresh, with intertwined nuances of vanilla, cream
and nettles, with notes of redcurrant leaf and strawberry leaf. It is quite open
and appealing. On the palate it seems similarly fresh, but with creamy nuances,
and nettly fruit. It certainly has a delicious style, with a full,
mouthfilling character on the midpalate, ripe and yet cut through with tingling acidity.
It all rounds off with a creamy finish. This is very good indeed. Not all rosé
has to be Bandol, it would seem. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week
write-up. 17/20 (May 2007)
Alphonse Mellot
Sancerre Rosé La Moussière 2004: A very pale pink. Aromatic, leafy red fruit
nose. Some vanilla cream, and notes of thyme too. Full, flavoursome palate.
It has clean acidity, and quite a grippy finish. This is accompanied by a
pleasing, leafy, raspberry and strawberry character. Good. From a Loire
Extravaganza tasting. 15/20 (July 2005)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussière 2003: Pale hue. Lovely nose, showing lots of
minerality, chalky and gunpowdery, flinty even, but with a little ripe melon
fruit to give some roundness to the aromas. Deliciously fresh and yet ripe,
flavoursome palate. The chalky, stony character comes through, with some nice
grip and plenty of firm, stony presence. Although this is balanced out by notes
of pear, and fleshy white stone fruit. This is lovely stuff, and shows what
Sauvignon is capable of given the right environment, and the right hands. From a Loire
Extravaganza tasting. 17/20 (July 2005)
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Génération XIX 2003: The nose offers up some clean, grassy elements, but there is a deep,
enticing aroma alongside, which takes some time to characterise as it is a
little atypical for Sancerre; the scent of honeyed minerals is a rich, opulent
characteristic which reflects the heat and the vintage I feel. It is pervasive
and yet subtle, so it adds to the wine rather than spoiling it, as it does not
take it beyond the realms of Loire Sauvignon. The palate is full bodied and very
attractive, and I'm glad to report there is some decent acidity here, and also
some firm, grippy tannins, which are likely to be oak-derived (this is barrel
fermented and aged in oak, although thankfully these practices don't otherwise
manifest strongly on the palate). But most pleasingly there is a fine vinosity,
the texture and structure combining to give a rounded, well-knit feel which
suffuses the palate, only yielding to those tannins right at the end. This is
very good, despite showing some elements of the vintage. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week
write-up. 16.5/20 (August 2006)
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