Generation XIX comes from century-old vines. Very bright, it reveals complex aromas of lemons, nuts and honey. The mouth does not rest: ample, fresh with a salty finish. A wine to lay down. A few years' cellaring will allow it to express its full power and finesse. A great bottle!
Notes :- Bettane + Desseauve 17/20
Wine characteristics
- Vintage : Génération XIX
- Year : 2013
- Appellation : Sancerre
- Colour : White
- Grape types : Sauvignon
- Soil : limestone soils of Kimmeridgian marl
- Harvest : manual in 25 kg boxes, strict manual sorting
- Type of viticulture : organic and biodynamic
- Alcohol content : 13°
- Contenance : 75cl
Tasting - Cellaring
- Appearance : pale gold color
- Nose : notes of lemon and nuts with a touch of honey
- Mouth : wide and powerful with a salty finish
- Serving temperature : 12 to 14 °C
- Cellaring : 6-7 years
- Drink from : 2015
- Winemaking process : in 900 litre conical bottom tanks
- Maturation : 10-12 months in conical bottom tanks over fine lees
Food-matching
- Food-matching : sweetbreads, fish casserole
Experts reviews :
Bettane + Desseauve
Rated wine : 17/20
Domain :
Now working alone at the head of this 36-hectare estate in Sancerrois, Alphonse Mellot Junior and his sister Emmanuelle cultivate the taste of great wines made with biodynamic methods and minimum yields, achieveing optimal ripeness and an almost obsessive search for perfection.
They also own 18 hectares in Coteaux de la Charité.
Appellation :
See the latest sales in this region
This majestic river links various wine-growing sub-regions that go to make up the overall appellation, from the Massif Central to the Atlantic.
The Loire region extends over almost 1000 km and there are 4 sub-regions: Nantes, Anjou, Touraine and the Centre. There are 68 Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée.
Altogether, there are 65,000 hectares producing nearly 3,0000,000 hl of wine on average each year, of which 45% are whites, 22% rosés, 21% reds and 12% sparking wines.
The areas planted with vines stretch far and wide, with a number of different climatic influences, oceanic in the West, becoming more continental the further you get from the ocean.
Three words characterise these wines: diversity, quality and affordability.
Diversity, because the whites range from the driest to the sweetest, while the reds can be fruity or mineral.
Quality, thanks to the emergence of young, talented vignerons, coupled to a significant improvement in winemaking techniques.
Affordable, because there are some amazing quality-price-pleasure ratios to be found.
The main grape types for whites are melon and gros-plant around Nantes, chenin in Anjou and western Touraine, sauvignon in eastern Touraine and in the Centre.
The principal grapes used for making reds are gamay, cabernet franc and sauvignon, pinot noir and côt (or malbec).
Recent vintages
- 2011: very good maturity for reds, well-rounded and low in acidity. Dry whites more varied, but great sweet wines.
- 2012: a varied year for weather. Few sweet wines, but highly drinkable dry whites good for cellaring, particularly Sancerre. The reds are versatile and soft.
- 2013: fruity wines, easy to drink with low alcohol content.
- 2014: a great vintage in the two colours, with aromatic wines in their youth but with good racking potential. A remarkable balance between acidity, fruitiness and concentration.