Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Génération Xix Rouge 2019 (750ml) *

Sancerre is far better known for its Sauvignon Blanc, which makes a serious red from the appellation something of a discovery. This is Pinot Noir, grown in the Loire's Sancerre district and bottled by Alphonse Mellot as the 2019 Génération XIX (Dix-Neuf) Rouge. At 14.5% stated alcohol, it sits at the fuller, more ambitious end of what the region can coax from the grape, a red built with intention rather than as an afterthought to the whites.

The nose is dark and concentrated, spicy and aromatic, with an interplay of reductive and oxidative notes that keeps it lively. On the palate it turns generous and full-bodied, fleshy through the middle but held together by firm, juicy tannins and real structure. There is plenty of fruit and intensity here, and the whole thing stays fresh and pure despite its density, a genuinely impressive showing for a Pinot Noir from this corner of the Loire.