Domaine Philippe Gilbert: Vineyards
As I have already described in my profile of La Tour Saint-Martin, the vineyards of Menetou-Salon run on a strip of land between Pigny to the southwest, and Humbligny to the northeast. The appellation therefore extends along about 20 kilometres, and it is only a few kilometres wide. Beyond Humbligny, to the east, is Sancerre country. Unsurprisingly therefore, the soils are very similar to those found in much of Sancerre, and in particular Kimmeridgian marl dominates. These stone is rich in fossilised oyster shells, known locally as les oreilles des poules (literally, hens’ ears). The work above ground is along biodynamic lines. On the whole Philippe works the soil, although one or two selected sites are grassed over instead.
This is not an unbroken strip of vineyards as one might find looking down on the Mosel, or across the vineyards of Bordeaux; instead the plantings are more patchy, often taking advantage of the best south-facing hillsides. Among these patches the Gilbert vines (pictured below left) can be found, 28 hectares all told; this includes 15 hectares of Pinot Noir and 13 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc. Some vines were acquired from Denis Jamain, in Reuilly, when in a process of restructuring he sold off the few vines he owned in Menetou-Salon. The largest parcel is Champaloin in Vignoux (north-west of Bourges), planted at the end of the 1960s by Jean-Paul Gilbert, soon after he graduated with a degree in oenology. The slope, although very gentle, is south-facing, and it bears 4 hectares of Pinot Noir and 2 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc. This vineyard is largely managed using machine.
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