Domaines Minchin La Tour Saint-Martin Menetou-Salon Morogues 2020

With its classic terres blanches soils, Morogues is one of the village-based crus of Menetou Salon and where Bertrand Minchin grows the majority of his Sauvignon Blanc. Hand harvested, whole cluster pressing and fermented in stainless steel tanks 5 months on the lees. Aged 95% in tank  and 5% in French Oak.

The wines of the central Loire are dominated by the juggernaut appellations of Sancerre and, to a slightly lesser degree, Pouilly-Fumé. At the far southern edge of the vast deposit of Kimmeridgian limestone and situated just southwest of Sancerre, Menetou-Salon is often viewed as a satellite or country cousin to its neighbor. Standing in these vineyards, situated on gentle slopes that stretch from Humbligny to Pigny, you would be hard-pressed to identify what makes these terroirs different from Sancerre. So generally well-accepted is this assessment, that many renowned Domaines in Sancerre also tend vines of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in Menetou-Salon. In tasting a wide variety of Sauvignon Blancs from the central Loire, it is generally easy to spot the generosity of Quincy, the vibrantly forthright aromas of Reuilly, and the smoldering minerality of Pouilly-Fumé. Telling Sancerre from Menetou-Salon is far more challenging – especially when tasting Sancerre from Terres Blanches and Caillottes soils.