Alphonse Mellot - Côtes Charité Les Pénitents Pinot Noir 2021
92/100
Bettane & Desseauve
91/100
Decanter
"A lovely, easy-drinking wine that you'll find hard to wait for!"
With its deep purple color, Les Pénitents opens with a nose featuring lovely aromas of red berries. On the palate, it is crisp and sensual, with a beautiful finish full of finesse and freshness.
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Eye
Deep purple color
Nose
With lovely aromas of red berries
Palate
Crisp and sensual, with a lovely finish full of finesse and freshness
Serve
At 14-16°C
Open
1 hour ago
Drink before
2028
Food and wine pairings
It pairs perfectly with marinated meat or hand-cut sausage for the grill, duck breast with peppers, or veal sautéed with tomatoes...
Bettane & Desseauve
Wine rated 92/100 (2019 vintage)
Rated estate (2026 guide): 5* Stars (Exceptional producers who represent the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and around the world)
About the estate:
A skilled winemaker, Alphonse Mellot offers a fascinating interpretation of Sancerre, with single-vineyard wines that showcase the nuances of each terroir. The average age of his vines—75 years—enables him to produce an impeccable range, the entry-level of which—the estate cuvée—is already of the highest caliber. Eighteen hectares in the IGP La Côte de la Charité also attest to his mastery of Chardonnay. We salute the work and inspiration of this tireless enthusiast, crowning over 30 years of research and uncompromising dedication.
Decanter
Wine rated (2021 guide) 91/100 (2019 vintage)
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the estate:
Alphonse Mellot Jr., the 19th generation at Sancerre’s flagship estate, owns 53 hectares of vineyards cultivated using biodynamic methods and offers a range of single-varietal Sancerre wines that are remarkably clear, elegant, and refined. Several of these wines—Edmond, Les Romains, and Génération Dix-Neuf—are remarkable for their concentration, precision, and expression. This year, I’ve expanded my notes a bit, as I truly sensed differences in complexity among the wines, rather than mere differences in style. Pinot Noir enthusiasts should try Les Herses 2014.
Vinous
Rated: Recommended
About the estate:
Founded in 1513, the estate’s current owner, Alphonse Mellot, is the 19th generation to run the family winery. The estate is located in the center of the village and features an extensive network of cellars. With 56 hectares of vineyards, Mellot produces Sancerre for supermarkets (the La Moussière cuvée, made from young vines, is stocked at Sainsbury’s in the United Kingdom, for example) as well as high-end cuvées made from old vines, such as the Cuvée Edmond, whose grapes come from a 6-hectare plot of old vines within the 38-hectare La Moussière vineyard. The resulting style, fermented in wooden vats of various sizes, is pure and precise and manages to retain an enticing acidity even in hot vintages such as 2018, 2019, and 2020. The flagship cuvée, Génération XIX, comes from a one-hectare plot at La Moussière where the vines average nearly 90 years of age. Handled with care, it is fermented in 900-liter vats, resulting in an exceptional and alluring Sauvignon Blanc of intense purity and with a structure that will allow it to age gracefully. The estate also produces Pinot Noir: La Demoiselle comes from a rare flint-based terroir that gives it a smoky, spicy, and firm style, while the limestone soils of the Le Paradis vineyard—which contributes to the red Génération XIX—offer a more seductive elegance, and the clay-rich section of Chambrates provides softness and ease. The Pinot Noir wines also make full use of high-quality oak. Having adopted biodynamics very early on, the estate has been certified since 1999.