2021 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Les Romains, Loire Valley

In conjunction with the cooler 2021 vintage, the result is a firm, forceful expression, yet there's flesh on its bones, providing some comforting padding to the backbone. Expect refined citrus, elderflower and boxwood flavours on the precise finish.

92 points Rebecca Gibb MW vinous.com

Biodynamic. The lieu-dit of Les Romains is named after the Roman road that led down to the Loire River crossing. It lies almost directly south of the town, over the fault line marking a vein of flint. While these soils may suggest a strong resemblance to nearby Pouilly-Fumé, the vines don’t have to dig deep before hitting pure limestone. The vineyard covers 1.9 hectares and is planted to a density of 9,000 vines per hectare. Vacheron and Gitton Père also tend vines in this great vineyard. In general terms, Mellot’s Les Romains gives you racier acidity and more lime and citrus than the nearby La Moussière.

Like all Mellot’s wines, the grapes are handpicked, and here fermentation takes place in 13-hectolitre tronconique cask. The wine aged on fine lees for 12 months. It’s a lacy, super-charged Sancerre: firm yet fleshy, with succulent white orchard fruit and creamy citrus supported by the vibrant mineral backbone. Substantial texture entwines with mineral freshness, and the wine finishes with exceptional focus and length and a tingling note of chalk.