Menetou Salon (wine region)
The Menetou Salon wine-growing region is only one to four kilometers wide and stretches for almost 20 km a little northeast of the central French city of Bourges in a northeastern direction. It has been AOC classified since 1959 . The Greater Region is part of the wine-growing region Loire Valley in the Region Center-Val de Loire .
history
The history of viticulture in Menetou-Salon goes back to 1063 and 1100 , when a donation from the vineyards "Clos de Davet" to the monastery of Saint-Sulpice-lès-Bourges is documented. Old records describe the wine as "the most beautiful pieces of jewelry on the grand table of the royal treasurer of King Charles VII , Jacques Cœur ", who in 1450 bought the Seigneurie Menetou. As in neighboring Sancerre vineyards are on limestone - sediments consisting of white Upper Jurassic , the Kimmeridgian exist. The climate corresponds to that of the Sancerre, the amount of precipitation with 850 mm / year is the highest in a wine-growing area in the center and is evenly distributed over the whole year.
description
The 458 hectares of a total of more than 1000 hectares of classified vineyards are cultivated by 90 winemakers. The annual production is 21,000 hl . The ten municipalities classified in the Menetou-Salon AOC area are from west to east: Pigny , Vignoux-sous-les-Aix , Quantilly , Menetou-Salon, Soulangis , Parassy , Aubinges , Morogues , Saint-Céols and Humbligny . The wines grow at an altitude of 250–400 meters. The stock density is 5600 / ha. When training the vine , the Guyot cut is used with eight whole shoots.
The most important grape variety of white wines is Sauvignon Blanc , of which 305 hectares are planted. The wines are fresh and flavorful, drunk young. White wines make up the majority of the harvest of all Menetou Salon wines.
Pinot Noir is by far the most important red grape variety that grows on 182 hectares of cultivation area. Rosé wines are only vinified in small quantities. Red and rosé wines are light and fruity and also do not have great aging potential .
The most important growers are:
- Domaine de Chatenoy with 60 hectares owned by the Pierre Clément family since 1560.
- Philippe Gilbert with 27 ha as a biodynamic, young company
- Henry Pellé has 40 hectares and as a family winery produces strong white wines and pleasantly light red wines. On the border with the Sancerre , wines are grown in a location that can be called Menetou-Salon-Morogues.
- La Tour Saint-Martin, with its 16 hectares, is particularly geared towards Pinot Noir wines, almost half of which are planted.
- Jean-Max Roger with 26 ha with family tradition from the early 17th century.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Vin de Loire , InterLoire brochure , Interprofession des Vins de Loire, Tours, p. 82f.
- ^ Information booklet "Escapades en Vignobles", Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins du Center, Sancerre
- ↑ a b The Great Johnson, 19th ed. 2009
