2021 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Demoiselle, Loire Valley

La Demoiselle was established on a small, east-facing hillside in 1951, and is one of Sancerre’s easier vineyards to locate, just below the Panoramic Hotel on the edge of the village. The deep soils are a mix of flint and flinty clay, the town being situated over the fault that runs through the appellation. While the winemaking essentially mirrors that of La Moussière, the yields here are somewhat lower still.
 
You can expect a more restrained aromatic profile than La Moussière, with scents of chalky, flinty minerality, nettle and Conference pear in the lead, supported by citrus backing. It packs a serious punch on the palate with delicious midpalate juiciness shot through with vibrant acidity, finishing with spicy, zesty persistence and understated power.