Biodynamic. Amid a sea of Sancerre, Les Pénitents is Alphonse Mellot’s single Chardonnay. It’s drawn from the historic hillside terroir of Nièvre—now part of the Côtes de la Charité appellation—just 35 kilometres southeast of the family’s Sancerre base. The region was almost destroyed by phylloxera in the late 19th century, but its renown goes back much further to when it was planted and farmed by the Benedictine monks of Cluny, who were gifted the land by Étienne, Count of Sancerre. Now reduced in size to some 50 hectares, the region was brought back to life in the late 1980s thanks to the dedication of several winegrowers, including Alphonse Mellot.
Its terroir (Oxfordian limestone) is a stepping stone between the Loire Valley and Burgundy, resembling large parts of Sancerre and the Côte d’Or. The varieties (90% of the vineyard is planted to either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir) provide another clear link to the vineyards of Burgundy. Crafted from low-cropped vines planted in 1990, it is vinified in a mixture of wooden fermenters and cement tank. This gives a medium- to full-bodied, satiny and seamless Chardonnay redolent of ripe citrus fruits, flowers and pulpy stone fruits. Pure and fleshy, the long, salted-nut finish evokes quality grower Meursault. In short, it's a lovely addition to our range of Sancerre from this great wine grower.