2020 Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Chatellenie

2020 Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Chatellenie

2020 Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Chatellenie La Chatellenie is an agile and lively and dynamic Sancerre, but also sumptuous and, for this reason, is extraordinarily good value. Fragrant, thanks to vinification in stainless steel only, and at the same time full-bodied, thanks to a few months on the lees. Produced from agriculturally sustainable cultivation, this white wine from the Loire comes from the characteristic vineyards located on clay and siliceous soils, rich in flint. It is a fresh, citrusy and very mineral white wine. It exudes young, delicate aromas of citrus peel, yellow fruit and aromatic herbs, with the typical hints of flint that characterise this area, which produces the world’s greatest Sauvignon Blancs. The flavour is soft, juicy and fresh at the same time, with good fruit and great sapidity, with a long mineral persistence.

Joseph Mellot

Joseph Mellot is a wine estate that was founded by Pierre-Etienne Mellot in Sancerre in 1513. Today, the Mellot family produces predominantly Sauvignon Blanc wines from 100 hectares (247 acres) of vineyards situated in appellations across the central Loire Valley.

Since 1513, the Mellot family has firmly established itself as a leading winemaking dynasty in the Loire Valley. César Mellot acted as a wine advisor to King Louis XIV, while in the 1920s, Alphonse Mellot won several wine medals and became the first Sancerre winemaker to showcase his wines at the Foire de Paris, cementing the family’s winemaking reputation.

The estate as it stands today was established in 1969 when Edmond and Joseph Mellot, Alphonse Mellot’s sons, inherited and subsequently divided the vineyard holdings. Under the management of Catherine Corbeau Mellot, Joseph Mellot has gradually expanded from its original vineyards in Sancerre into appellations like Pouilly-Fumé, Menetou-Salon, Quincy, Reuilly, Côteaux du Giennois and Bourgueil.

Sauvignon Blanc is by far the most predominant grape variety found in the estate’s vineyards, although there are also plantings of Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Chasselas and Pinot Gris. Vinification methods are determined by the terroir, vineyard and grape variety, with each plot harvested and vinified separately. For the white wines, the grapes are typically destemmed and then gently pressed, but grapes from the top vineyards are first macerated before the pressing process. Fermentation is carried out under temperature-controlled conditions for between 10 to 15 days and the wines are then aged in contact with the lees before bottling.