Cape Heritage and The Loire
Timed Online Auction, 1 - 12 August 2024
The Loire
About the SessionAn eclectic selection of interesting and super rare vintages from the Loire Valley. Rich in ancient limestone and silex soils, the Loire valley is known for their passionate, historic family producers, many of them farming organically, and forming the spiritual cradle of noble varieties including the likes of Sauvignon blanc in the famous appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly Fume in the continental east, through the Chenins from Vouvray, and Cabernet Franc from Chinon and Saumur further downstream to the west. Brimming with variety and value, the catalogue includes highly collectable lots from acclaimed classics like Domaine Huet, Alphonse Mellot, Henri Bourgeois and Thierry Germain.
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About this Item
In the 14th century, Alphonse Mellot founded a tavern in Sancerre, specialising in local wines. In 1881, he was granted a licence to ship his wine throughout France and abroad; marking the beginning of a family business that has been passed down over 18 generations. Today, Domaine Alphonse Mellot, which stretches across the upper Loire Valley, is run by father and son, both named Alphonse Mellot. While Sancerre produces predominantly white wines, Mellot has an almost 50:50 split between white and red production. Farming their 47 hectares of vines organically and biodynamically, they are the benchmark for quality in Loire.
Provenance
Restaurant Mosaic
Critics Ratings
‘The Mellot 2011 Sancerre Edmond exhibits rarified, high-toned, Chartreuse-like herbal and floral aromas. On its rich yet surprisingly buoyant and infectiously juicy palate, it introduces chicken stock and sweet-saline, scallop-like savour to an otherwise chalk-inflected matrix of citrus, quince, and melons. This long-finishing beauty really sets the imagination and salivary glands working, and I imagine it will do so for at least the better part of a decade.’ - David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate, 92/100 (Jun 2012)