Sincerite is the product of the Mellot dynasty, which was founded in Sancerre almost five centuries ago by Pierre-Etienne Mellot. In 1698, C?sar Mellot, was entrusted with the weighty task of advising King Louis XIV on his choice of wines. Throughout the years, each new generation has continued to enrich and perfect the family's winemaking skills.
In the 1920s, Alphonse Mellot was the first Sancerre producer to exhibit his wines at the Foire de Paris. He went on to win a number of medals at various food and wine events. He then opened a wine warehouse in the Bercy "Halle aux Vins" (Paris) in order to develop sales in the capital. His two sons, Joseph and Edmond, took over from him in 1946.
Considerable changes have taken place over the past twenty years. When Alexandre Mellot took over the family estate he extends the vineyards and modernized the winery equipment. In 1987, he was joined by Catherine Corbeau, who took charge of the sales and marketing operations. Together, they developed new strategies for both the viticultural and marketing activities and steadily bought more vineyards in order to be totally in control of their supplies. Today, Joseph Mellot is the only estate that owns vineyards in all the appellations of the region. The vineyard area now extends over 200 acres.
Alexandre always aimed at constantly improving vinification techniques and placed great emphasis in being involved in each and every stage of the winemaking process. In just a few years, he achieved the goal he set himself when he began running the company; to develop an expertise in each of the appellations of the region. Following Alexandre's untimely death in 2005, Catherine, aided by their experienced staff, is now at the helm. Attentive, demanding and passionate about her job, she is committed to upholding Joseph Mellot's long-standing traditions of quality.
The utmost care is used in making their wines. When the grapes arrive, they are carefully sorted before going through the destemming machine, which eliminates any foreign residues and unripe grapes. The white wines are slowly pressed in pneumatic presses to extract the purest juice possible. You may not be able to see all that goes in the bottle, but you can certainly taste it.
March 2010 Vintners Series Newsletter (.pdf)
