Domaine Henry Pellé, Menetou-Salon Blanc Morogues 2018

Story

Domaine Pellé, Menetou-Salon Blanc Morogues 2018. The current Pellés are the fourth generation of winemakers. The first Pellés made wine to drink with Sunday lunch. 1959 saw the creation of Menetou-Salon as an appellation d’origine controlee. The Pellés at the time, aware of the rich quality of their terroirs in Morogues, insisted that the village’s name be allowed to appear in the label. Since then their Mentou-Salon Morogues has remained the Domaine’s flagship wine. Its a blend of 7 parcels from the highest slopes of the appellation. The vineyard and its soil (Kimmeridgian marl) give this wine a subtle, pure nose with aromas of white flowers and citrus fruits. The taste is racy and crystalline, clear with a citrus fruit taste initially followed by a saline and mineral finish. Nothing overly exuberant just clarity and precision. After all, this is something the Loire is famous for.

The Process

Manual harvesting takes place first with the bunches de-stemmed. Direct pressing is next and the juice is transferred to the tank. Fermentation kicks off with natural yeast and in stainless steel tanks. Finally, the maturation of the Cuvee happens on lees and mostly in stainless steel, with a small amount matured in wooden vats. In Eastern Loire lies the village of Menetou-Salon Morogues. The climate is cool and sunny allowing a slower ripening period. The terroir here has sedimentary limestone dating from the upper Jurassic period (Kimmeridgian). The Domaine also practices green harvesting, a modern technique used to enhance the flavours of grapes by thinning out the harvest before veraison begins and the bunches are still green. This Domaine Pelle has aromas of white peach and blackcurrant leaf, with hints of ripe fruit and lime. The palate has a refreshing citrus zest, nettle and grassy tones, lovely minerality and a slightly creamy, honeyed finish. Moreover, it’s refreshing with great balance.  

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