Alphonse Mellot

In Sancerre, in the Loire Valley, the Mellot family has been considered an institution since time immemorial: a document from 1513 already mentions them as wine producers. Curiously, the name Alphonse alternates in the dynasty several times over the centuries: at the beginning of the 1900s, Alphonse Mellot was the first to turn the family business around, exporting his wine all over the world. Recently two other Alphonse Mellots, father and son, i.e. the 18th and 19th generation of the family, proudly continue this ancient tradition of Sancerre wine. The Mellots are owners of the La Moussiere domaine, which consists of approximately 30 hectares of vineyards, with south-west exposure, of exceptional quality; here they produce an exceptional white Sancerre from sauvignon blanc grapes, while the red and rosé Sancerre is obtained from pinot noir grapes, coming from old vineyards of the Vieux Clos Chambrastes cru. Today the Domaine is managed by Alphonse Mellot Junior, with the collaboration of his sister Emmanuelle: their wines are the great synthesis of the Sancerre territory, excellences rich in elegance and balance. According to the very long family tradition, the birth of a quality wine is a slow process of getting closer to the local terroir, that is, the set of traditions, the territory and the people who live it; an artisanal work that the Mellots know well and which has led them to create excellent wines. They are also owners of the Pénitents domaine, in the Nièvre area of Burgundy, where the solid experience gained has allowed them to create equally exciting wines, based on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.