Alphonse Mellot "Les Penitents" Pinot Noir 2020 (Cotes de la Charite, Loire Valley, France) - [DM 91]

Notes from the Winemaker: Founded in 1513, the current guardian of Alphonse Mellot is the 19th generation of Mellots working the family winery. It sits pretty much in the center of the village with an extensive network of cellars. The La Moussière vineyard covers more than 30 hectares (74 acres) of Kimmeridgian limestone and Saint Doulchard marl soils. The vineyard faces south, receiving ample sunlight for grapes to ripen in the region's cool continental climate. The Loire Valley is a region rich in vinous curiosities, from rare grape varieties to far flung appellations some of which lie closer to Côte Rôtie and Chambertin than they do to any of the Loire Valley’s more recognised regions. One such curiosity is the Côtes de la Charité, a wine region which boasts an impressive history, the vineyards having been planted by religious acolytes who arrived here from Burgundy in 1059. On the banks of the Loire they built a huge religious settlement, including a monastery and a church which,