La Grange Tiphaine, 2022 Update
The voice on the other end of the telephone said something like this:
“I am sorry, that wine has just sold out. I can offer you a replacement though. It’s from a young guy just returned to the Loire Valley, And he is taking over his family’s vineyards not far from Montlouis-sur-Loire. It’s a Touraine red – I think you should try it.”
Naturally, my interest was piqued, and I accepted the replacement bottle. That was the first time I heard about Damien Delecheneau and La Grange Tiphaine. It was a telephone conversation I had perhaps eighteen years ago and there is much about it I no longer remember. I don’t recall the name of the wine merchant I was buying from. I certainly do not remember which wine was out of stock, nor do I recall the identity or vintage of the cuvée in question. Let’s face it, sometimes I think it is a miracle I can remember my own name.
I do remember the replacement wine though. As my opening paragraph indicates, it was a red Touraine blend, although a blend of exactly what I’m not sure. Second, it was pretty good, enough for me to think this might be a vigneron, and a domaine, that I should investigate further. I am nothing if not persistent (even if it can sometimes take a year or two to get around to doing things), and subsequently I got to know Damien and his wines a little better.
In 2008 he was joined in his endeavours by his wife, Coralie (pictured above – possibly sending us a message concerning her favourite white variety?), and today the Delecheneaus are in charge of one of the more significant domaines in the region. In this tasting report I present a slew of tasting notes on recent releases, tasted and sometimes retasted with Damien and/or Coralie on three separate occasions over the course of the last ten months. Before I get to the wines though, I first dig a little more deeply into the domaine and its vineyards.
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