2024 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussiere, Loire Valley

In a vintage when many wines are lacking in ripeness, Alphonse Mellot's signature cuvée stands out. This bold style, with some evident oak, is ripe, rounded and relatively weighty. Almost Burgundian in style, it has lovely concentration and a lush texture. With delicious bready notes and even a hint of pineapple, the fresh, mineral acidity keeps everything in check. It has both energy and density, presence and finesse. The finish is long and smooth. Really impressive.

92 points Beverley Blanning MW decanter.com

Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussière is one of the Loire Valley’s most iconic expressions of Sauvignon Blanc, a wine that captures the grace, tension and quiet sophistication of the limestone rich soils around Sancerre. The Mellot family has been rooted in the village since the early sixteenth century, and La Moussière is the beating heart of their estate: a large, contiguous vineyard farmed biodynamically and treated with extraordinary attention to detail. The site’s marne soils, a mix of limestone, clay and marine fossils, give the wine its trademark mineral precision and layered complexity. Hand picking, gentle pressing, wild fermentation and extended lees contact create a style that is both crystalline and textural, vibrant yet deeply nuanced.

The aromatics are beautifully refined. Expect citrus blossom, lemon zest and white peach layered with pear skin, green apple and subtle notes of gooseberry. Beneath the fruit lies the unmistakable Sancerre signature: wet limestone, crushed shells, cool flint and a faint saline thread. As the wine breathes it takes on tones of chamomile, fresh herbs, lime leaf and delicate stone fruit, all wrapped in a lifted, almost airy perfume that feels effortlessly elegant.

The palate moves with finesse and definition. A bright line of acidity carries flavours of citrus, orchard fruit and soft tropical hints across a silky, lees enriched texture. Notes of grapefruit pith, peach skin, fennel and white pepper unfold in measured layers, supported by a mineral spine that pulses through from start to finish. The balance of purity and savoury depth is exceptional. The finish is long, clean and chalk edged, leaving lingering citrus, florals and a cool stony echo. With a few years of cellaring it gains beeswax, lanolin, honeyed citrus and delicate nutty complexity.

Perfect with oysters, goat cheese, sashimi, grilled fish, roast chicken with herbs, fresh vegetables, asparagus, creamy leek dishes, salads with citrus dressing or anything that calls for finesse and mineral clarity.