The Menetou-Salon appellation

Menetou-Salon AOC

The Domaine Philippe Gilbert is located in the center of France: the Menetou-Salon vines produce rare wines. Their quality is recognized as one of the most demanding in the Loire.

A neighbor of Sancerre, close to the Loire Valley, the Menetou-Salon appellation is found north of Borges and covers a modest area of 600 hectares. Menetou-Salon AOC is exclusively planted with pinot noir varietals for the red and rosé, and sauvignon for the white.

A little history…

Establishing and perpetuating a vineyard is not the fruit of chance.

The vines have been present in the region since at least the 11th century. Texts attest to the presence of Menetou-Salon wines at the table of King Charles VII (15th century). For centuries, the vineyard has been closely linked to the city of Borges, a prosperous city whose geographic proximity made it the main commercial outlet.

At the turn of the century, the phylloxera crisis encouraged the “elders” to chose quality and to concentrate on the noble varietals already present but not promoted enough: sauvignon and pinot noir. It would be a long road to the recognition of the appellation contrôlée by the National Institute of Origin and Quality in January 1959.

These last 60 years, the winegrowers of the 10 communes classified AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) have constantly continued the demanding work begun before them. Today, nearly 20% of the vineyards are worked in certified organic agriculture! Let us wager that this new adventure has only just begun, and that synthetic chemistry, still triumphant only 20 years ago, will soon no longer be anything but an exception…