schiller-wine: Extensive Vineyard Tour (with Geese and Sheep), lead by Vineyard Manager Andreina Pellé, and Extensive Tasting led by Export Manager Pauline Guillot at Domaine Pellé in Morogues, Menetou-Salon

The Loire Tour 2025 by ombiasy WineTours took place from Sunday, October 5 to Thursday, October 16, 2025. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre, with a bus transfer and lunch in Paris. There were 9 of us including Annette and myself.

Today we are traveled south-east to the Centre region.

Crispy, gorgeous Sauvignon-Blanc is produced here 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 Pouilly-sur-Loire we find Kimmeridgian that we know from Chablis, which gives the wines a broader, more mellow character.

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. 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.

In Menetou-Salon we visited Domaine Pellé in Morogues. The visit comprised 2 parts. First, we did an extensive vineyard walk, accompanied by geese and sheep. Here, Andreina

Pellé , the wife of fourth-generation winemaker Paul-Henry Pellé was our host. She is the vineyard manager.

Second, we did an extensive tasting in the cellar with Export Manager Pauline Guillot.

Domaine Pellé is well represented in the USA.

Loire 2025 by ombiasy WineTours led by Annette Schiller

Annette Schiller in her announcement: What comes to your mind when you hear ‘Loire Valley’? Of course images of glorious Châteaux pop up in your mind. Yes that is true and we will visit some iconic château and dig deep into France’s history. However, during this wine tour we also discover a magnificent, but often overlooked French wine region and one of the most exciting best kept secrets of excellent, high quality wines at very reasonable prices. The Loire Valley wine region is a vast area and consists of several distinct wine regions, each with its own characteristic grapes, appellations, and wine style. We take you on a journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Auvergne mountains to explore this unique region. We learn to appreciate “Sancerre”, "Pouilly-Fumé", “Vouvray", “Chinon”, as well as many other not so familiar appellations.

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