More wines available from Alphonse Mellot
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Alphonse Mellot Cuvee Edmond Sancerre Blanc 2018
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$68.14
Now mature, this wine balances crisp citrus with warm apricot flavors. It is smooth and intense, with a texture that...
750ml
Bottle:
$97.94
The 2020 Cuvée Edmond hails from a seven hectare, south-west-facing parcel sitting on kimmeridgian marl. Partially...
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$73.62
Having tasted the white Generation XIX a year ago before it headed for the bottling line, its pedigree continues to...
750ml
Bottle:
$80.89
$89.20
The 2019 Sancerre Génération Dix-Neuf (XIX) is deep, complex and subtle on the nose that reveals flinty as well as...
More Details
Winery
Alphonse Mellot
Varietal: Chardonnay
In the past couple of decades, the sales of wines made with Chardonnay grapes has risen and fallen more than once. For many people, this green skinned grape was marred by a poor reputation for bland and uninteresting wines, a great shame considering the fact that Chardonnay grapes have proven time and time again to be interesting, versatile and full of surprises. Most commonly, fine Chardonnay wines are buttery, smooth and creamy as a result of malolactic fermentation, yet with hints of tropical fruits and orchard fruits such as apples and pears. What is most remarkable about Chardonnay grapes, however, is the fact that unlike many other 'white' grapes, they are exceptionally good at holding the characteristics of their terroir in the bottle. As such, despite their fluctuating reputation, this is one grape varietal which produces constantly surprising, impressive and varied wines.
Region: Loire Valley
In France, the region most closely associated with the production of fine white wines is the Loire Valley, a particularly fertile and temperate region near the Atlantic coast. This reputation is certainly justified, and the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc vines which flourish in this region produce both dry and dessert wines of exquisite character and flavor However, the region is also responsible for some seriously high quality Cabernet Franc based wines, such as those found in the sub-region of Chenin, and plenty of elegant bubbly crémant wines, which are often fruitier and more lively than those found in Champagne, and with a character all of their own. The Loire Valley is an ancient wine region, with archaeological evidence dating wine production in this area back to the first century.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.