“A young lady one would love to ask to marry, with her pure notes of Burlat cherries, a magnificent floral finish, and silky, lingering tannins. The flinty terroir provides the final touch of elegance” (Bettane & Desseauve 2024).
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Eye
A deep, rich ruby color
Nose
Powerful, with aromas of smoke and jammy black cherries with a hint of kirsch
Palate
Smooth, with peppery notes, enveloped by silky tannins
Serve
At 14-18°C
Open
1 hour before service
Drink before
2030
Food and wine pairings
Enjoy it with poached eggs in a wine-based sauce with porcini mushrooms, spiced wild duck, hare stew, or pears with cinnamon...
Bettane & Desseauve
Wine rated (2024 guide) 95/100
Rated estate (2026 guide) 5*Stars (Exceptional producers, those representing the absolute pinnacle of quality in France and around the world)
About the wine:
A wine you’d love to ask for her hand in marriage, with its pure notes of Burlat cherries, a magnificent floral finish, and silky, lingering tannins. The flinty terroir provides the wine’s final lift.
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—allows him to produce an impeccable range, the entry-level wine of which—the estate cuvée—already stands at the highest level. 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.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Wine rated (2022 guide) 92/100 (An outstanding wine)
Estate rated "Recommended" (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
The 2019 Sancerre La Demoiselle Rouge opens with a deep, fresh, pure, and intense aroma, featuring a spicy bouquet that reveals aromas of ripe black fruits intertwined with iodine notes. The palate is silky, fresh, and elegant; this is a full-bodied, fleshy red Sancerre with lingering liveliness, offering plenty of power, intensity, and tannins. Still young but also quite oxidative.
About the estate:
Alphonse Mellot Jr., the 19th generation at this leading Sancerre 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—stand out 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
Wine rated (2022 guide) 93/100
Rated: Recommended
About the wine:
La Demoiselle 2019 is an elegant yet ripe Pinot Noir that captivates with its savory, spicy fruit and notes of smoked bacon. Rich yet long-lasting with delightful acidity, this is a rare Pinot Noir grown on flinty soil. The finish is long and fragrant, with tea leaf adding to the palette of aromas. It is appealing now, but it is still a young wine and will be delicious in a few years, once its flavor profile has fully developed.
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 top-tier cuvées 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 varying 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 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-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.
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