Alphonse Mellot
Brand Profile
Sancerre, La Moussière, Alphonse Mellot.
A vineyard, a terroir, a man.
Three words for a single passion - wine.
Winegrowers since the sixteenth century, the Mellots have always lived their lives to the regular rhythm of the vine and have upheld the quality and renown of Sancerre through the ages. Today, in this region of hills and valleys located 200 kilometers southwest of Paris, on a 40 hectare domain, Alphonse Mellot continues along the path taken by his ancestors to keep improving his wines' reputation for excellence.
Sancerre
The quintessential expression of sauvignon blanc. With their racy gunflint, herbal and smoky flavors, Sancerre is the world’s model for crisp, focused sauvignon blancs.
“La Moussiere”
The Domaine de la Moussiere is the cornerstone of the Mellot estate. More than 30 hectares located on a magnificent south-facing site, this land is a true gift from past generations.
A Tradition of Excellence
The wisdom of 19 generations of winemaking tradition culminates in each year’s vintage. Alphonse Mellot handcrafts wines to reflect both terroir and his own heritage.
Quantity vs. Quality
• Over 40 people are employed by the Mellots, probably four times as many as the typical Sancerre vintner
• Mellot practices an ‘ébourgeonnage’ each year in May and June, a process which is, in effect, a pre-harvest cutting back of up to 50 percent of the number of bunches on each vine
• Mellot plants at a density of around 10,000 vines per hectare, the final vendange is around 4-6 bunches per vine
• The average planting density for Sancerre is 6,200 vines with around 18-20 bunches per vine
“But let’s be clear that the quest for quality wine is an enormous risk, especially financially. Quality is only achieved by employing a large personnel, a large amount of ‘materiel’, understanding and correctly utilizing both state-of-the-art technology and the savoir faire of an artisan vigneron – all for the result of producing very little in terms of quantity. Well, this is the complete antithesis of classic industrial or agricultural logic, and that is why most people in Sancerre are convinced I’m mad. I want you to understand that this quest, this ambition to make the highest quality wine has been first and foremost for myself and my son – for ourselves rather than the consumer, restaurant sommeliers, wine journalists.”
–Alphonse Mellot
