2012 Alphonse Mellot Sancerre Les Romains

Sourced from vines plated in 1951 on partly limestone, partly silex soils the dense, firmly structured 2012 Sancerre Les Romains has an intense yellow color and a rich nose with an amalgam of ripe (and slightly oxidized) fruit, crushed rocks, fresh citrus flavors, yeast, (new) oak, nut oil, hazelnut, yogurt and chalk. On the palate all these impressions become tactile and tastable in a rich, creamy textured Sancerre with a demanding minerality and a finish that reminds of vins jaunes of the Jura region. Although quite inaccessible, this is a profund, powerful and extremely salty Sauvignon of great expression and complexity. It is by far not fully developed but we should be curious to taste it again in 3-4 years.  Wine Advocate 94+