Loire 2015 First Taste: Central Vineyards
On my first ever visit to the Salon des Vins de Loire seven years ago I stopped off at only three Central Vineyard domaines to taste. They were, for the record, an old favourite in the shape of Domaine Vacheron, a new favourite in the form of Alphonse Mellot, and a look to the west with Henry Pellé in Menetou-Salon.
These were only three tastings, but they were significant ones. My tasting with Anne Pellé of Henry Pellé was informative as it reminded me that everywhere along the Loire Valley, the greatest wines do not only come from the most famous appellations; journalists who scrape the surface of the Loire with flying visits to Savennières and Sancerre will never get to grips with the significance of vignerons such Anne’s son Paul-Henry Pellé who has since taken the reins or near-neighbour Philippe Gilbert (both Menetou-Salon), Eric Nicolas (Jasnières and Coteaux du Loir), Thierry Michon, Jérémie Mourat (Fiefs Vendéens Brem) and so on. They are all the source of remarkable wines, far from the beaten track.
My tasting with the younger Alphonse Mellot was significant because I was blown away by the quality of the red wines. I generally avoid using phrases such as ‘amazing’, ‘mind blowing’ and ‘awesome’ when describing wine; they are dished out too easily I think. But these wines from Alphonse Mellot truly were game-changing; this tasting was my realisation that Sancerre wasn’t just about Sauvignon Blanc any more. It was at this moment that, for me, red Sancerre came of age. I had never before realised that the red wines of this appellation could hold such quality. I have remained fascinated by them ever since, started cellaring them for my own drinking, giving me (along with a few really good examples from Cheverny as well as the aforementioned Thierry Michon) an occasional hit of Pinot Noir without having to venture south of Dijon.
