More wines available from Alphonse Mellot
![Alphonse Mellot Cuvee Edmond Sancerre Blanc 2018 750ml](https://www.saratogawine.com/files/images/cached_thumbs/d4/d4cc8e522b283753dcf0fd5ce7761605.jpg)
Pre-Arrival
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
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc varietal grapes are a key ingredient in many of the finest wines in the world. For centuries they have been used in their native France for balancing out and adding their unique flavor and aroma to the finest wines of the Bordeaux region, and in more recent decades, they have been used all over the New World in attempts to emulate this most illustrious of wine styles. Alone, Cabernet Franc is an exciting, rich and elegant wine grape, producing wines packed full of interesting and highly aromatic characteristics. Violets, tobacco, bell pepper, blackcurrant and several other notes are regularly found within wines made from this grape, and the rich, pale garnet red color they offer makes them a favorite for both vintners and wine drinkers around the world.
Region: Loire Valley
Despite being most closely associated with fine white wines made with the excellent Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc varietal grapes which thrive there, the region of the Loire Valley in France also produces several other quality wines. The sub-region of Chinon is highly esteemed for its excellent Cabernet Franc based red wines, packed full of unique character and excellent fruity flavors, and the sparkling crémant wines of the region are adored by people all over the world. The region benefits enormously from the fertile valley it sits in, and the oceanic breezes which blow over the area, cooling the vines and helping them reach full and balanced levels of ripeness. The Loire Valley is an ancient wine region, with a viticultural history which stretches back two thousand years and is stronger than ever today.
Country: France
Year in, year out, France enjoys its prestigious reputation as the producer of the finest wines in the world. With a wine making history which spans several thousand years and owes its expertise to the Romans, it comes as little surprise that this most highly esteemed of the Old World wine countries continues to impress and enchant both novices and experts to this day. Despite the rise in quality of wines from neighboring European countries, not to mention the New World, the French wine industry continues to boom, with up to eight billion bottles being produced in recent years. However, France prides itself on always putting quality before quantity, and the wide range in fine produce is a testament to the dedication and knowledge of the wineries across the country. Indeed, from rich and complex reds to light and aromatic white wines, French wines are as varied and interesting as they are enjoyable to drink, making this country a firm favorite for wine lovers across the globe.