Alphonse Mellot

Not everyone likes Alphonse Mellot, but almost all respect what he has done for the appellation. A touch eccentric, and always boiling over with ideas, he has taken the world of sauvignon blanc to new heights. The estate, though, is not a one-man show. With 55 hectares of organically farmed vineyards, 45 employees and 250,000 bottles a year in production, it is an orchestra conducted by a sometimes delirious genius. Striding through the cellar to taste the new vintages, I hardly had time to take notes as we ran from one cask to the next.Known for his vast array of 500-liter barrels spread through various cellars in the heart of the old city of Sancerre, Mellot has taken a liking to cement fermenters rather than stainless steel to ensure better integration of the oak. JOEL B PAYNE, Vinous

True artists with Sauvignon… [the Mellot family’s] worthy aspirations have gradually raised them to the peaks of the great Sauvignons of the world. Alphonse Mellot’s white Sancerres are amongst the most brilliant and pure illustrations of the genius of the Sauvignon grape. MICHEL BETTANE & THIERRY DESSEAUVE, The World's Greatest Wines