Joseph Mellot Sancerre La Chatellenie, Loire, France 2023
The Sancerre vineyard is said to date back to ancient times according to testimonies of historical personalities such as Pliny the Elder. It was not until the 12th century that Sancerreexperienced a significant growth thanks to the monks of Saint-Satur and the Counts of Sancerre. Originally mainly planted with Pinot Noir, the vineyard was totally destroyed at the end of the 19th century by phylloxera (a parasite affecting vine roots).
Sauvignon Blanc is the emblematic grape variety of the appellation created in 1936 and has found its favorite soils here: in Sancerre, this is the king varietal! It gives fresh, aromatic, expressive white wines with aromas of citrus and exotic fruits combined with a lovely mineral note, the typical expression of the Sancerre Terroir.
La Chatellenie opens with a pleasing aroma of lemon and other citrus plus pear, some floral touches and lots of mineral notes. It’s a great start. The wine tastes juicy, rich and flavorful yet is also light, lively and delicious. Featuring great balance, it also has a wonderful minerality to it with plenty of sea salt notes plus some other flinty, chalky notes. And it might be even better once it warms up, which isn’t always the case with a lot of white wines.
