FLASH SALE: 10/25/2023 — The Best Chardonnay offer of the year? (Another gem from Alphonse Mellot)
Offer available as inventory lasts.
Hi everyone –
FLASH SALE ALERT! This is too good to wait until Friday, and we’ve secured all the remaining wine already. It’s hidden in the back room at Solo Vino and only available through this offer.
This might turn out to be the best Chardonnay buy of the year. We have the lowest price in the country, and it gets even better with a six-pack.
This is a blockbuster. And the return of a favorite producer that many of your will recognize from our red Sancerre offer during the summer, which sold out in one hour.
We’re proud to offer you Alphonse Mellot’s “Côte de la Charité” Chardonnay 2019 … and it is AWESOME.
What this is
100% Chardonnay from the Loire Valley, from a tiny weird little spot called Côtes de la Charité, which is southeast of Sancerre. It’s geographically, geologically, and culturally closer to Burgundy than the Loire hence, Chardonnay is planted here.
But Alphonse Mellot is a Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) specialist. You may see where I’m going here in terms of style.
This comes across more like Premier Cru Chablis!
Tasting note: stunning aromatics of heirloom apple and bosc pear, laced with minerality and lime zest. It’s got everything going for it, and time has done it well (it’s a 2019 vintage). The aromas are seamless, with wave upon wave of everything you could want. But the real fun is on the palate: lip-smacking goodness along with Chardonnay’s richness. It truly comes across as a Chardonnay made by a Sauvignon Blanc specialist.
The crazy history of Alphonse Mellot and his winery
Start with this: in 2013, the winery celebrated its 500th anniversary. Chew on that one a bit.
Here’s another: back in the day, a member of the Mellot family was the personal wine advisor to King Louis XIV.
And yet another: the current Alphonse Mellot is the 19th generation, and every generation has been named the same. All are named Alphonse Mellot! (Talk about pressure … it’s like being part of the British royals.)
Image from the website Letting the Wine Speak. See their article on Alphonse Mellot: https://lettingthewinespeak.com/tag/alphonse-mellot/
From The Vintage Club in Singapore:
For more than half a millennium the Alphonse Mellot family have been in the winemaking business and have contributed enormously to the international success of Sancerre. Since 1513, and for 18 generations, the first-born son of the family has been baptised Alphonse, but beyond this family history there are the wines, both red and white, that capture our attention.
These are Sancerres that are truly incommensurate with the rest of the appellation. The Mellot family wines are universally lauded and have been for centuries. Those who taste them marvel at their ability to trigger emotions and lift the soul. King Louis XIV even chose César Mellot to be his viticultural advisor.
This is truly a domaine steeped in history and the ancient caves of this domaine, built between the 15th and 17th century, are breath-taking and worth a visit for anyone who finds themselves in Sancerre. At the close of the 19th century, the family began to export their wine as well as distribute them all over France. Little by little the name of Domaine de La Moussière was dropped in favour of the family name.
Today, Alphonse Senior (18th generation) has handed the reins over to his son Alphonse Junior and his daughter Emmanuelle and over the last ten years the two young winemakers have brought their own style and personality to the wines.
The work in the vineyard is exceptional: biodynamic viticulture, a strict no chemical input policy, manual upkeep of the vines and small yields all contribute to making this wine truly special. Vintage after vintage, the family continue to discover and respect the terroir responsible for giving their wines their identity.
https://thevintageclub.sg/pages/domaine-alphonse-mellot
Biodynamic farming in a region of industrialists
From Letting the Wine Speak:
Alphonse Mellot is one of only five biodynamic producers in Sancerre. In a region where some 98 percent of fruit is machine harvested, Mellot meticulously picks his grapes by hand into small 25-kilogram (about 55 pounds) cases.
The large percentage of old low-yielding vines, with some parcels planted in 1931, 1948, and 1951, grow in soils of limestone, flint (silex), clay, and chalk, which lend tremendous complexity to the wines.
https://lettingthewinespeak.com/tag/alphonse-mellot/
We’ve got the best price around
Here’s a current listing on the web. Our price is much much lower.
Buying advice
This is a flash sale, so once it’s done, it’s done, and the quantities are limited. If you’re a fan of great Chardonnay, grab a six-pack for sure.
Also, start thinking about gift-giving for this holiday season. This is a top-grade wine at a bargain price that any wine lover will appreciate (and not know off-hand, which is always cool).
Grab it now. Limited to the stock that we could buy.
Jason Kallsen
Sommelier and founder/owner of Twin Cities Wine Education
This is a flash sale, limited to stock on hand.