Today we were travelling south-east to the Centre Loire region.
Crispy, gorgeous Sauvignon-Blanc is produced there as well as fantastic reds from grapes such as Pinot Noir, and Gamay. In Sancerre we find the famous silex soils, on the western side of the Loire River, in Poully-sur-Loire we find Kimmeridgian that we know from Chablis, which gives the wines a broader, more mellow character. We were able to figure out the differences between “Sancerre” and “Pouilly-Fumé”.
When France introduced the AOC classification system, another - now an
under-the-radar appellation in this area - Quincy - was the first
appellation in France granted the AOC (today AOP) designation in 1936.
On the way to Sancerre we stopped in Menetou-Salon, a rather unknown appellation to the casual Loire wine drinker producing fantastic Sauvignon-Blanc and Pinot Noir, quality-wise equal to Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. We visited Domaine Pellé in in the village of Morogue, some 30 minutes west of Sancerre. Export Manager Pauline Guillot was our host. She took us on an extensive vineyard tour, followed by a quick tour of the winemaking facilities. We ended the visit with a tasting in the tasting room of Domaine Pellé.
Domaine Pellé is well represented in the USA.
Domaine Pellé in Morogues, Centre
This domain has a 100 year long history of being involved in wine and winemaking in the village of Morogue, some 30 minutes west of Sancerre.
Today it is Paul-Henry Pellé, who is the winemaker just like his great-grandfather, grandfather, and father. Paul-Henry's grandfather, in fact, played an instrumental role in the establishment of the appellation and lobbied hard to include "Morogues" on the label, which he felt essential since it is unique in its high percentage of Kimmeridgian soils.
When Paul-Henry took over he immediately started to convert to organic viticulture. The 100 acres of vineyards are exclusively planted with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir and are situated in the Menetou-Salon appellation, the Morogues appellation and in the Sancerre appellation. The soils are characterized by Kimmeridgian loamy limestone, flint, and fossil deposits.
I quote Arrowine in Arlington VA: “we invite you to discover these distinctive, mineral-laden whites and reds from this under-the-radar appellation, Menetou-Salon, and from one of its true masters, Domaine Pellé.”
Beaune Imports
2020 will mark the first vintage where Domaine Henry Pellé will be certified organic.
Once regarded as the Loire Valley’s most off-the-beaten path appellation, Menetou-Salon has gained a fair amount of recognition thanks to Domaine Henry Pellé, which accounts for 25% of the AOC’s entire production. Morogues, the chief village of Menetou-Salon, shares the same Kimmeridgian limestone soils as its more famous neighbor, Sancerre, but at a fraction of the price. While the family business started as a hobby at the beginning of the 20th century, today Domaine Henry Pellé is the benchmark producer by which all others in the AOC are judged. Henry Pellé was the first to bottle the family wines under the Pellé label, built a new cellar in 1970, and slowly increased the holdings. In 1980, Henry was joined by his son, Éric, and the two were avid students of their terroirs. When a tragic accident claimed the life of Éric in 1995, Henry and Éric’s widow, Anne, called in former intern Julien Zernott for assistance. Julien had been an instrumental mentor to Anne and Éric’s son, Paul-Henry, who bottled his first vintage for the domaine in 2007.
The Pellés farm 40 hectares of vineyards, planted to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, without herbicides or pesticides. They plow regularly to aerate the soils and drive the roots deeper, and they nourish the vines with natural composts. De-budding limits yields, which lends richness and complexity to the wines. Once harvested, the grapes are sorted and pressed slowly and gently. The must is fermented on native yeasts in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks. The whites and reds are often aged on the lees and the cuvees are divided between tanks and barrels respectively to age for up to 12 months. Their introductory bottling of the white village Morogues is mineral-laden and fine—an overachiever for its class. Their two lieux-dits, Vignes du Ratier and Clos des Blanchais, offer up more complex expressions of Sauvignon Blanc in the Morogues terroir. Their red, single vineyard bottling from Les Cris showcases the classic aromatics of fine Pinot Noir with high-toned cherry fruit and earthy notes and is aged in 1- to 2-year-old Burgundy barrels. All the whites age on their lees in stainless steel. The Pellés have done more than most local wineries in highlighting the potential of the appellation and the incredible values these wines present for the pedigree of the soil.
Arriving
Extensive Vineyard Walk
Cellar Tour
Tasting
Dinner at L'Océanide (Bib Gourmand Michelin) in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at L'Instinct Gourmand in Nantes, with Owner/ Chef Sylvain le Bras - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Tour of Old Town Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Iconic Brasserie La Cigale in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour, Tasting and Light Lunch at Vignobles Günther Chéreau, Château du Coing, in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, with Owner Véronique Günther-Chéreau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Two Domaines under one Roof: Visit at Domaine Gadais Père et Fils and Domaine de la Combe/ Pierre-Henri Gadais in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, Muscadet Sévre et Maine, Pays Nantais, with Owner/ Winemaker Christoph Gadais - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Restaurant Les Petits Près of Chef Samuel Albert (Top Chef France 2019) in Angers - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Château d’Épiré, AOP Savennières, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Paul Bizard - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Barrel Tasting and Salon Tasting at Château des Vaults, Domaine du Closel in Savennière, Anjou, with Owner/ winemaker Evelyne de Pontbriand - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with a Light Lunch at Domaine de la Soucherie in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Anjou - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner at Restaurant L’Essentiel, Michelin-listed and Nestled at the Foot of Saumur’s Fairy-tale Castle - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Visit at the UNESCO-classified L’ Abbey Royale de Fontevraud in Fontevraud - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch in the Courtyard of Saumur's Fairy-tale Castle Château de Saumur - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting, Cellar Tour and Vineyard Tour at Domaine des Roches Neuves in Varrains, Anjou, with Next Generation Owner/ Winemaker Louis Germain and Agathe Germain - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tour and Tasting at Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur, with Owner Juliette Monmousseau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Tasting at Cave M. Plouzeau in Chinon, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Marc Plouzeau his Château de la Bonneliére Wines - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
At Domaine Bouchardière in Cravant les Côteaux, Touraine: Tasting the Wines of Domaine Bouchardière and Domaine de la Haut Olive, Cravant les Coteaux, Chinon and Panzoult, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Menu
du Jour Lunch at Bar-Restaurant Le Bistrot du Marché of Hotel Le Lion
d'Or in the Center of Chinon - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine François Cazin, Le Petit Chambord, in Cheverney, Touraine, with François Cazin - Loire Valley
2024 by ombiasy WineTours
3-course "Bistronomique" Dinner at
Restaurant Brut Maison de Cuisine in Blois, with Owner/ Chef Adrien
Delafoy - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Brazilier in Thoré-la-Rochette, Côteaux Vendômois, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Brazilier - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
3-course Lunch at Le Moulin du Loir in Vendôme - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit of Château de Chambord: "An Epitome of what Human Art can Produce" said Charles V. (Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations) - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Tour of Château Royal de Blois, where 7 Kings and 10 Queens lived - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
With a Large Cheese Cart and Soufflé Flambé au Cognac: 5-course Menu Inspiration - Leisurely Sunday Lunch at Restaurant La Croix Blanche on the Banks of the Loire between Amboise and Blois, with Owner/ Chef Jean-François Beauduin (Bib Gourmand Michelin) - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided Visit of Château du Clos Lucé, where Leonardo da Vinci lived and died, in Amboise - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner and Overnight-stay at Château de Pray in Amboise, a Loire Château from the 12th Century - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit at Domaine Denis Meunier in Vernou-sur-Brenne, Touraine, with Daniel Meunier - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Visit at Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet, in Vouvray, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Guided
Visit of Château Chenonceau, Residence of Diana de Poitier and of
Katharina de Medici, Mistress (the Former) and Wife (the Latter) of King
Henry II - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Dinner - Aperitif, Amuses Geules, 4-course Dinner, Mignardises, Digestif - and Overnight-stay at Auberge du Bon Laboureur, 2024 Best Wine List Award (Traditonal Restaurants) of Terre de Vins, a Leading Gourmet Journal in France, in Chenonceau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Extensive Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pellé in Morogues, Menetou-Salon, with Export Manager Pauline Guillot - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Restaurant Fluteau in Morogues - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar
Tour and Extensive Tasting at at Domaine Alphons Mellot in Sancerre,
with Alphons Mellot - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar
Tour and Tasting at Domaine de Vrillères, SCEA in Sury-en-Vaux,
Sancerre, with Kevin Lauverjat - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar
Tour and Tasting at Domaine Tinel-Blondelet in Pouilly-sur-Loire, with
Marlène and Annick Tinel - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Lunch at Restaurant/ Affineur Romain Dubois in Chavignol, with Gilles Dubois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Wine-pairing Dinner at Le Clos du Maréchal with the Wines of Vignobles Berthier, with the Owner/ Winemaker Clément Berthier and the Chef/ Owner Nathanael Fromant - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
Last Meal of the Tour: At La Coupole in Paris - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
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