Alphonse Mellot : La Moussière 2022

Tasting notes and recommendations for La Moussière 2022 from Alphonse Mellot

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a ruby red color with bright highlights, characteristic of a well-concentrated pinot noir.

Nose

The nose opens with delicate aromas of fresh red fruits, notably cherry and strawberry, accompanied by subtle floral notes. With aeration, spicy nuances and a light mineral touch gradually emerge.

Palate

On the palate, this red wine charms with its silky texture and remarkable balance. Fine and elegant tannins support a fresh and delicate structure. The finish lingers gracefully with fruity notes and a hint of sweet spices.

Food and wine pairings

This Sancerre red pairs perfectly with white meats such as veal paupiette with mushrooms or escalope in cream sauce. It also matches beautifully with semi-dry goat cheeses, young Cantal, or even grilled andouillette. Lovers of fine charcuterie will appreciate its pairing with quality ham.

Service and cellaring

La Moussière 2022 can be enjoyed now through around 2028. It is recommended to serve it at a temperature between 14 and 16°C to fully appreciate its aromatic finesse.

An elegant Sancerre red from an exceptional Loire Valley terroir

The estate

At the beginning of the 19th century, Alphonse Mellot founded the family House in Sancerre, which has since been passed down from father to son. As early as the 16th century, local archives already mentioned the Mellot family as renowned winegrowers and wine merchants. As an anecdote, in 1698 King Louis XIV chose César Mellot as his wine adviser.

The eldest of each generation bears the founder’s first name. Thus, even today Alphonse Mellot father and son continue this winemaking tradition and produce high-quality Sancerre wines from a vineyard of more than 30 contiguous hectares.

The vineyard

The La Moussière vineyard extends across the hillsides of Sancerre, in the heart of the Loire Valley. The pinot noir vines grow on Saint-Doulchard marl soils, also known as caillottes, which give the wine a particularly vibrant and tense expression. The vines range in age from four to forty years, with a planting density between 8,000 and 10,000 vines per hectare. The vineyard is farmed using certified biodynamic practices, without synthetic chemical inputs, with yields deliberately limited to 53 hectoliters per hectare to favor concentration and quality.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage in Sancerre benefited from favorable climatic conditions allowing optimal ripening of pinot noir. The estate’s biodynamic practices, including the use of natural preparations such as horsetail and nettle infusions, helped maintain the vineyard’s natural balance throughout the vegetative cycle.

Winemaking and aging

After manual harvesting, the grapes for La Moussière 2022 were carefully sorted and then vinified on a parcel-by-parcel basis. Fermentation took place partly in stainless steel vats and partly in barrels, preserving the freshness of the fruit while bringing complexity and structure. This Sancerre red wine was then aged on fine lees for seven to eight months, developing aromatic depth and harmonious balance.

Grape variety

100% pinot noir