Cheverny
Thundering typhoons! Am I dreaming! It’s Marlinspike Hall! Marlinspike, my family estate! It’s fantastic!
– Captain Haddock, in Red Rackham’s Treasure (1943)
Searching for inspiration for the design of Captain Haddock’s ancestral home, the 20th-century cartoonist and author Georges Prosper Remi (1907 – 1983) – the man behind The Adventures of Tintin and better known by his pen name Hergé – turned to Château de Cheverny (pictured below). The similarities between the Captain’s Marlinspike Hall (Moulinsart in the original French, Hudson Hall in some American versions) and Cheverny’s most imposing residence are undeniable, although Hergé chose to drop the imposing pavilions which flank the central section. Apparently, he was happy for Captain Haddock to inherit an attractive residence, but not a stately home.
Being kind, perhaps it says something about the adulation afforded Hergé and his famous cabal of characters that if Cheverny is now famous for anything it is not the region’s wines but this tenuous association with Tintin (which is, understandably, thoroughly milked by the family who own the château, with an extensive and permanent Tintin exhibition). Alternatively, being less diplomatic, perhaps this is a reflection of the relative anonymity of the Cheverny appellation and its curious collection of blends, which are never likely to challenge their monovarietal Touraine peers including Chinon and Vouvray in the wine fame stakes.
And this is a shame, because from a viticultural point of view, this corner of the Touraine region has much to offer. From the right domaine, the appellation of Cheverny is a source of interesting concoctions in white, rosé and red, occasionally using more esoteric varieties, producing wines which can charm with their sense of individuality, value and quality. And this is before we come to the region’s secret weapon, Cour-Cheverny.
In this page of my guide to the wines of the Loire Valley I explore the Cheverny appellation, starting with a little viticultural history.
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