“We continue, certainly, to think that here are the most grand products of the appellation Sancerre”.  Bettane & Dessauve, Classement  2005, placing Domaine Alphonse Mellot in a classification by itself in Sancerre, and the equal of Didier Dagueneau.

Alphonse Mellot, Jr. represents the 19^th continuous generation (since A.D.1513) of Mellots as winemakers in Sancerre.  That is a long tradition, friends.  Moreover the family’s holdings, just over 100 acres are all virtually contiguous and literally adjoin the village of Sancerre itself perched on a hill overlooking the entire countryside.  The cuvee which we represent exclusively, Les Romains, is from a parcel that is reputed to have been planted by the Romans as the first in Sancerre.  The vines here are 45 years old, and are worked using bio-dynamic viticultural practices. 

The family employs nearly one person per hectare to work the vines—extremely expensive, but in a year like 2004 (cool and rainy in Sancerre), the results are impressive—12.7% natural alcohol with total acidity of over 8 gr/l.  Additionally, just for us, the Mellots have bottled this cuvee  without an artificial cold-stabilization, and without filtration.   So there might be a little deposit in the bottle, but there are also extraordinary flavors, and texture.  A great Sancerre—the “reference for Sauvignon” to again borrow from the Classement 2005.