An Afternoon with Alphonse Mellot

Well, what we thought was going to be a quick run through of the domain's red wines turned into a half day with M Mellot himself. This was a fantastic opportunity to learn a great deal about the last 3 vintages and the varied terroirs that he holds. The generosity and warmth were amazing, and as you will see, the wines weren't bad either. A truly unique, fabulous visit.

At La Tour, the wonderful restaurant in Sancerre

• 2007 Domaine Reverdy-Ducroux Sancerre Les Caillottes

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Light, grassy, pungent stainless steel style of Sancerre. Very good but does not set itself apart.

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• 2007 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Sauvage

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Medium yellow. Low pitched citric nose. Impressive weight and length, obvious wood presence. Fruit and acidity are strong enough to take this treatment, but I would drink this earlier rather than later.

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• 2006 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge En Grands Champs

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Medium red, not brilliant. Tart, brambly fruit which smoothed. Medium intensity and finish, some sap. Good.

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All of the '09s were tasted out of barrel and showed various degrees of reduction.

• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge La Moussière

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Astounding depth of color. Crunchy cherry fruit with some minerality. Truly wonderful texture and concentration for Loire Pinot, especially the lower end cuvee.

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• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Côtes de la Charité Les Pénitents

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Côtes de la Charité

  Also good color. Lighter weight and less richly fruited than La Moussiere, much earthier. Still, very good basic cuvee.

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• 2008 Alphonse Mellot Côtes de la Charité Les Pénitents

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Côtes de la Charité

  Very much like the '09 version, but a little less body and perhaps a tad more acidity.

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• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge Vigne La Demoiselle

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Excellent color. A combination of ripe fruit and stoniness that gets one into a Burgundy frame of mind. Excellent length.

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• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge En Grands Champs

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  The fattest, fruitiest, most simple, and most accessible of the range of '09s even through the reduced notes.

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• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge Génération XIX

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Backward and difficult to taste at this point, but clearly a complete wine with good texture and much more of a stony underlying structure.

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• 2008 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge Vigne La Demoiselle

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Less color intensity than the '09s. Excellent tangy red fruit, good minerality. Again, very good.

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• 2008 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge En Grands Champs

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  By far the most exotic and ripe of the reds tasted. Clove and black cherry aromatics. Rich, reasonable acidity, sappy and long. What this lacks in complexity, it makes up for in its yum factor. Approachable and very, very tasty.

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• 2008 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge Génération XIX

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Again, the most backward of the bunch, but what a terrific combination of fruit and strong minerality. At the level of Premier Cru Burgundy. For me, the class of the reds.

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• 2007 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge Vigne La Demoiselle

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Monsieur Mellot was very clear that 2007 was difficult for reds, and you could certainly see that in this wine, which was very light, thin, lacked fruit and was astringent. Not good.

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• 2007 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge En Grands Champs

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Again on the light side, but the fruit of this cuvee made for a pleasant drink, if lacking in conviction and depth, even in this vintage.

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• 2007 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Rouge Génération XIX

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge

  Not nearly up to the level of the '09 or '08, but still admirably pretty, elegant, and Burgundian wine.

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It was decreed that we needed to try "one or two" whites to refresh the palate. Here is what we got.

• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussière

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Uncharacteristically exotic nose of tropical fruit (pineapple). Silky with a feel of residual sugar although I am assured there is none. Low acidity. Frankly, this is not what I am looking for in Sancerre.

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• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Vieilles Vignes Les Romains

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Also has a tropical quality like the Moussiere but shows more wood.

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• 2009 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre "La Demoiselle"

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Better structure and acidity than the previous 2 whites with more typical citrus rather than tropical fruit. The only one I would consider buying.

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• 2008 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussière

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Ah, a return to Sancerre! Frankly, this is so much more refreshing than the '09 with less heft, better acidity, and more snap. Tastes more lively than I recall.

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• 2008 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Edmond

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  This has evolved beautifully since last year, retaining great freshness and richness while shedding some of the woodiness that was distracting then. Like a Grand Cru white Burgundy and should develop for many years.

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• 2002 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Edmond

  France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre

  Almost the last wine in this marathon tasting, and what a wine it is! Explosive aromas of honey and truffle, carressing texture, good acidity, exquisite finish. Great wine if unlike anything else from the appellation.

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I have not noted the last 2 wines since they came directly out of barrels that were never sold, but saved for family and friends. These were 2 late harvest Sancerres from 1988 and 1989!! They were both deep, rich, off dry (a bit sweeter in the case of the '89), and reminiscent of Vin Jaune. What a treat!

In terms of the red wines, 2009 and 2008 are the years to seek out, whereas the 2009 whites were too rich and flabby, making me happy I own 2008 and 2007. The fascinating array of reds must be at the summit of the region; at least, I have never tasted as satisfying a range. The reds are in 2 styles, driven by the soil differences. Desmoiselle and Generation are clearly more mineral vintage to vintage and made us think of Chambolle and Gevrey at various times. Grand Champs seems like a more fruit-driven wine meant for earlier enjoyability. Remarkable range, remarkable man.