Domaine Philippe Gilbert, 2019 Update
There are only a handful of domaines in Menetou-Salon that I am motivated to return to again and again, but without a doubt Philippe Gilbert is one of them. Philippe (pictured below) is a committed vigneron, dedicated to his very discrete parcels of vines, all of which are farmed using biodynamic methods, the house style here is one of purity, tension and vibrant frames of mineral and acid in the white wines, and beautiful fruit definition in the reds. Whereas there are a couple of other domaines that might challenge him on the quality of his white wines, it is hard to think of anyone else in the appellation turning out red wines which offer the sort of confident quality that can be found it his 35 Rangs cuvée.
This most recent tasting was an opportunity to visit new releases and to revisit some familiar old friends. From the 2017 vintage, the entry-level Menetou-Salon Blanc is a masterclass in how to produce a high-quality domaine-level cuvée; I have been very happy drinking previous vintages of this wine when dining out, and I would not shy away from repeating the experience with the 2017. The 2017 Menetou-Salon Rouge is a rather more delicate creature, but it has charm on its side.
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