Alphonse Mellot - Côtes Charité Les Pénitents Chardonnay 2020

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

Skilled winemaker Alphonse Mellot offers a fascinating interpretation of Sancerre, with single-vineyard wines that showcase each terroir. The average age of the vines, 75 years, allows him to offer an impeccable range, the top tier of which—the domaine cuvée—is already at the highest level. Eighteen hectares in the IGP La Côte de la Charité also testify to his mastery of Chardonnay. We salute the work and inspiration of this tireless enthusiast, crowning more than 30 years of research and uncompromising dedication.

Decanter

About wine:

The Loire is probably not the first place you would look for a full-bodied Chardonnay, but don't overlook this rich and complex bottle from the Côtes de la Charité, a little-known IGP on the border between the Loire and Burgundy. The Mellot family has been producing wine in the Loire for generations and is best known for its Sancerres. Here, they demonstrate their ability to produce both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, creating a ripe expression of the white grape in a style reminiscent of the New World, with generous notes of pineapple and tropical fruit, a certain creaminess due to barrel fermentation and aging on lees, but also a concentrated minerality that hints at its origins.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

Alphonse Mellot Junior, the 19th generation of the leading Sancerre estate, owns 53 hectares of biodynamically cultivated vineyards and offers a range of remarkably clear, elegant, and refined single-varietal Sancerres. Several of these wines—Edmond, Les Romains, and Génération Dix-Neuf—are remarkable for their concentration, precision, and expression. This year, I expanded my notes a bit, as I really felt differences in complexity between the wines, rather than just differences in style. Pinot Noir lovers should try Les Herses 2014.

Jancis Robinson

Vinous

About the estate:

Founded in 1513, the current owner of the estate, Alphonse Mellot, is the 19th generation to run the family vineyard. The estate is located in the center of the village and has 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 UK, for example) as well as high-end cuvées from old vines, such as the Cuvée Edmond, whose fruit comes from a 6-hectare plot of old vines within the 38-hectare La Moussière vineyard. The resulting style, fermented in wooden vats of different 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 in La Moussière where the vines are on average nearly 90 years old. Handled with delicacy, it is fermented in 900-liter vats, resulting in an exceptional and seductive Sauvignon with intense purity and a structure that will allow it to age gracefully. The estate also produces Pinot Noir: La Demoiselle comes from a rare flint terroir that gives it a smoky, spicy and firm style, while the limestone soils of the Le Paradis vineyard, which contributes to Génération XIX red, offer a more seductive elegance, and the clayey part of Chambrates offers softness and ease. Pinot Noir is also not skimped on when it comes to quality oak. Having adopted biodynamics very early on, the estate has been certified since 1999.