La Grange Tiphaine, 2019 Update
The appellation of Montlouis-sur-Loire has one or two imposing figureheads, but it is certainly worth looking beyond these most famous names to some of the other vignerons working in this appellation, once so maligned but today a fascinating source of Chenin Blanc. One of these is Damien Delecheneau, a relatively young vigneron who has a meticulous approach in vineyards and cellars, and he turns out wines to challenge some of the very best in the region. Not only that, looking beyond Chenin Blanc and Montlouis-sur-Loire, he also produces a wonderful range of reds in the Touraine and Touraine Amboise appellations; many of these blends feature Côt, the variety that started my week in the shape of the 2017 Côt Vieilles Vignes from Xavier Weisskopf.
On this most recent encounter with Damien and his wife Coralie (pictured), I tasted recent releases from the latest vintages, including 2018, 2017 and 2016.
The Wines
After two very attractive sparkling wines, either of which I would be very happy drinking, we kicked off the 2018 Touraine Amboise Bel Air, at the time of tasting yet to be bottled, was a promising combination of pithy fruit and minerals. Having revisited it only a few weeks ago at Aux Saveurs de la Tonnelle in Saumur I can state with certainty that the bottled wine is every bit as delightful as this brut de cuve sample. Rather more serious, the 2017 Clef de Sol also showed real promise, and would see out a few more years of development in the cellar with ease, while the 2017 Les Grenouillères, demi-sec as always, is equally promising.
