On Sunday April 13th a group of my fellow ICC Alumni and newly
Certified Sommeliers gathered to taste a number of wines and discuss our future
plans and strategies as potential Advanced Sommeliers candidates. It was great
to see these friends again and I hope that we’ll continue to meet whether some
or all of us choose to put our nose to the grind stone again and pursuit that
next step. Currently our plan to begin reviewing and go even deeper into what
we have already studied. The 50 classes we had at ICC cover all the major wine
regions of the world but everything is covered very quickly and you can only go
an inch deep on any given subject at that pace. And, since we were studying for
the Certified exams the instructors didn’t want to overwhelm us with
information, but at times we’d ask a question and the Master Sommelier would
reply, “That’s an Advanced level question…” and then give us the answer.
Our current plan
is to tentatively meet at least a couple times a month, share our notes from
the text books we have chosen to read and of course taste some wines from the
now much-expanded list of “grid wines.” But in our first meeting we all just
brought wines to share so until we meet again I’ll provide a review of these
wines.
Our first wine was a Sancerre blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), the 2012
Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussiere. The four dominant
varietals of the Loire Valley are Muscadet,
Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Of course there are other
varietals as well such as Pinot Noir, but these are the major players. One of the
most well-known region for Sauvignon Blanc is Sancerre in the eastern
part of the Loire valley, southeast of Orléans in the
sub-region of the “Central Vineyards.” About 75 - 80% of the production is
devoted to this grape and the remainder is Pinot Noir. Due to its distance from
the Atlantic Ocean and location in the middle of France it has a continental
climate. Its nearest neighbor, Pouilly-Fumé specializes in producing
only 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
Sancerre is an isolated hill that rises up in the middle of
landscape which receives most significant climatic influence from the Loire River. The oldest portion of the town is built like an amphitheater
on the south-western slopes of the hill that is 312 meters high (1024 feet).
History of the Mellot Family
As early as 1513 A.D. local records mention the Mellot
family who managed a vineyard and produced wine. Records
also indicate that in 1698 Caesar Mellot was appointed
as Wine Advisor to King Louis XIV. At the beginning of the 19th
century Alphonse Mellot founded a tavern in Sancerre and
in 1881 he was granted a license to ship his wine throughout
France and internationally. The name “Alphonse Mellot”
has practically become a trademark for the family winery as his eldest son bore
the same name and the grandson as well who are 18th and 19th in the family to
bear the name.
The wines are produced from the upper Sancerre vineyard, the
most well known is Domaine
de La Moussière, a single vineyard with over 30 hectares (74 acres). The vineyard is
ideally exposed to the sun as it is located on the
south-western tip of Sancerre. So, along with its Huadu Kimmeridgian limestone soil and a marl sub-soil it has the ideal conditions for
the cultivation of the vine. From these vines they produce “The
Moussière” their normal
blend, “Generation XIX” and “Edmond.”[1]
The Wine
The
2012 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre La Moussiere is a clear white wine, straw-yellow
in color with low concentration and medium- viscosity. On the nose it has
subtle aromas of lemon-lime, tarragon, lemon blossoms and a minute hint of
chalk. On the palate the nose is confirmed. It is dry with medium+ acid, medium
body and a medium length finish. This is a prime example of a Sancerre,
especially from what many consider to be a rather difficult vintage.
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