MCF Rare Wine
Classic, Real (If Pricey) Sancerre
Since many of you spent this past weekend in places where lots of Sancerre typically gets consumed, and since, as evidenced by the fact that you read this newsletter, you're someone with a well honed palate, you're aware of the fact that most of the Sancerre you encounter in mediocre shops or restaurants is really...
...not good...
...very not good...
...like not just 'this one is okay, but there are way better examples out there'...
...I mean that it's offensively bad.
Made from industrially farmed grapes, and jacked up with all kinds of additives, they're concocted to maximize the amount of liquid they can bottle and slap a Sancerre label on, knowing that brunch-places-that-turn-dance-clubs will buy it by the pallet.
I'll often go weeks without a Sancerre on the shelf, just in the hope of nudging people towards other wines that will scratch that itch, but will do so in a tasteful and authentic way.
But I do love good Sancerre, really I do.
Alphonse Mellot's wines are reaaaally good Sancerre.
Sure, they're very...ambitiously priced, but that's because of one thing...they're positively, breathtakingly delicious.
The Sancerre Generation Dix-Neuf 2019 is one of the most thorough examples of Sauvignon Blanc you'll come across - it's broad and textured, with lovely fruit elements, but the gravity at the center of it all is the flinty, mineral nuance, that keeps the wine both chiseled and focused, but also give it a sense of aristocracy. After a couple of years in bottle, it's really found its equilibrium. Lovely.
Then we have the Sancerre Cuvée Edmond 2020, which is made from the oldest vines, and is a real wine-drinker's wine. It's not as overtly kaleidoscopic, if you will, but, rather, it's a more introspective example of Sauvignon. All of the nuance is much more understated, but, make no mistake, there's plenty of it. All the stony, chalky character seems to last forever, even if softly. It's a bit more high-minded...but it's equally delicious.
Do you have to pay these prices to get good Sancerre?
Of course not...
...but if you want to try the top tier of this legendary appellation, here's a great chance.
ALPHONSE MELLOT
Sancerre Generation Dix-Neuf 2019
Sancerre Cuvée Edmond 2020
You may order by calling 212.255.8870.
Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870
Looking for a wine you loved from a past newsletter or a favorite you can't find anywhere? Email Raphael at raphael@mcf-rarewine.com, and we'll do our best to find it for you!
