Located in the Loire Valley appellation of Montlouis-sur-Loire, just across the river from Vouvray, La Grange Tiphaine is run by husband-and-wife team Coralie and Damien Delecheneau. Damien represents the fifth generation of his family to work these vineyards, taking over the estate in the early 2000s and transforming it into one of the Loire's most respected biodynamic domaines.
The estate today spans around 15 hectares across Montlouis and Touraine-Amboise, producing wines with a strong emphasis on terroir expression, biodiversity and minimal intervention. By treating the vineyard as a complete ecosystem, they make a concerted effort to go above and beyond traditional organic farming, and to preserve both the land and cultural identity of the Loire Valley.
Alongside traditional Chenin Blanc, the domaine is particularly recognised for reviving and championing forgotten local varieties and older vineyard sites, helping to preserve the viticultural heritage of the Loire.
Wines to Seek Out
We’ll have six expressions from their estate available in the Cellar Door Shop, ranging from everyday favourites to special occasion showstoppers. Expect wines that are energetic, precise and deeply connected to place, from light, fruity reds to serious, textured whites.
Why La Grange Tiphaine?
Farming With Nature
The domaine has become a benchmark for regenerative farming within the region, through their use of cover crops and natural soil regeneration to improve vineyard vitality. To perpetuate the positive effects of this, reducing soil compaction and preserving this all-important microbial life is a priority- as such, minimal mechanisation is applied across the site.
The More, The Merrier:
The estate promotes biodiversity across their vineyard sites through restoring and augmenting natural habitats, including integration of hedgerows, trees and natural habitats around vineyard parcels. Additionally, one of their key missions is the preservation and revival of historic and lesser-known Loire grape varieties, restoring the heritage of the region bit-by-bit.
Waste Not, Want Not:
Their production methods across the board ensure that wines are crafted in a way that best preserves the unique character of their location. In their vineyards, there is a preference for manual vineyard work and low-impact production methods, which translates to their low-intervention winemaking methods; primarily, the minimal use of sulphur across the range.
Social Responsibility:
The estate is a multi-generational family stewardship, that takes pride in their long-term aims to be caretakers of the land, supporting the preservation of regional wine culture and historic vineyard sites all the while. Above all, their philosophy as a business is transparent in its focus on sustainability, authenticity and the longevity of farming practices.
Highlight Wine: Jim's Pick
La Grange Tiphaine - Montlouis-sur-Loire "Grenouillères" 2018
This single-site Chenin Blanc highlights the domaine's commitment to terroir expression, regenerative farming and producing Loire wines with depth, precision and ageing potential.
Leave a comment