The reason you've never heard of Menetou-Salon has nothing…
0 reactions
The reason you've never heard of Menetou-Salon has nothing to do with the wine
The vineyards at Menetou-Salon sit about 20 minutes southwest of Sancerre, in the same Kimmeridgian marl that makes Loire Sauvignon Blanc famous. Same grape, same soil, nearly identical climate. A blind tasting panel would genuinely struggle to separate a well-made Menetou-Salon from its more famous neighbor. The price at retail is typically $15-20 less per bottle.
The appellation has only about 30 producers total. Maybe 5-10 are seriously focused on quality. Domaine Henri Pelle alone accounts for roughly 25% of the entire AOC's production, which tells you how small this place is. Sancerre exports about two-thirds of its wine globally, which is why Americans know it. Menetou-Salon mostly gets consumed within France, which is why most people here do not.
With tariffs already pushing mid-tier French imports higher and Sancerre sitting at $35-50 in most wine shops, the case for the neighbor has never been more practical. The irony is that this price gap is almost entirely about name recognition and export volume, not what is in the glass. When you are paying $40 for Sancerre, a meaningful part of that premium is paying for the name to mean something to whoever you are pouring it for.
If your shop has a decent Loire section, look for anything from Henri Pelle or Domaine de Chatenoy. Curious whether others have been exploring this, or if it still feels like a well-kept secret in your market.
#drink #food
The vineyards at Menetou-Salon sit about 20 minutes southwest of Sancerre, in the same Kimmeridgian marl that makes Loire Sauvignon Blanc famous. Same grape, same soil, nearly identical climate. A blind tasting panel would genuinely struggle to separate a well-made Menetou-Salon from its more famous neighbor. The price at retail is typically $15-20 less per bottle.
The appellation has only about 30 producers total. Maybe 5-10 are seriously focused on quality. Domaine Henri Pelle alone accounts for roughly 25% of the entire AOC's production, which tells you how small this place is. Sancerre exports about two-thirds of its wine globally, which is why Americans know it. Menetou-Salon mostly gets consumed within France, which is why most people here do not.
With tariffs already pushing mid-tier French imports higher and Sancerre sitting at $35-50 in most wine shops, the case for the neighbor has never been more practical. The irony is that this price gap is almost entirely about name recognition and export volume, not what is in the glass. When you are paying $40 for Sancerre, a meaningful part of that premium is paying for the name to mean something to whoever you are pouring it for.
If your shop has a decent Loire section, look for anything from Henri Pelle or Domaine de Chatenoy. Curious whether others have been exploring this, or if it still feels like a well-kept secret in your market.
#drink #food
| 3,000 mlx | |
| 3 | |
| 0 |