La Grange Tiphaine

The Domaine de la Grange Tiphaine, located in Amboise on the right bank of the Loire, has been run since 2002 by Coralie and Damien Delecheneau, a passionate and committed winemaking couple. With a family heritage going back five generations, the estate underwent a decisive turning point with their arrival: modernization of the winery, overhaul of the range, switch to organic and then biodynamic viticulture, and above all a total commitment to lively, sincere wines made from the terroir without compromise.

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Ever since they set up, Coralie and Damien have been committed to clean, precise and demanding viticulture, respecting nature and the rhythm of the plants. Today, their wines are among the most distinctive and sought-after in Montlouis-sur-Loire and Touraine. The estate covers some 16 hectares, divided between Montlouis, Touraine-Amboise and Touraine, cultivated according to biodynamic principles. The work is meticulous, artisanal, and each cuvée expresses a vision, a place, a vibration.

The particularity of Domaine de la Grange Tiphaine's wines lies in the diversity of its soils and microclimates, all influenced by the Loire and its network of hillsides, buttes, terraces and morning mists.

The estate's vineyards are spread over several areas:

Montlouis-sur-Loire: white, sandy-clay tuffeau soils with good water-holding capacity, giving airy, taut, very floral wines.

Touraine-Amboise: flinty clays, giving fleshier, more structured reds.

Touraine: more varied terroirs, often used for Vin de France cuvées.

These highly draining soils, combined with well-thought-out exposures and temperate climatic influence, offer ideal conditions for producing wines of balance and great finesse.

Since taking charge of the estate, Coralie and Damien have banned chemicals, herbicides and unnecessary oenological inputs. The estate has been certified organic since 2007 and biodynamic (Demeter) since 2014. Work in the winery is minimalist but precise. Fermentation takes place naturally, using indigenous yeasts. No oenological inputs are used, apart from a little sulfur at bottling, according to the wine's needs. Ageing is adapted to each cuvée: in stainless steel vats, demi-muids or old barrels. No search for new wood or technological style. The idea is to let the wine evolve at its own pace, with no blocking, no recipes.

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Bottling is often done without fining or filtration, and sulfites are used very sparingly, even absent in certain cuvées (notably the Pet'Nat).

The Domaine de la Grange Tiphaine produces a range of wines divided between still whites, natural sparklers, reds and mellows. Each cuvée has its own identity, but all share a common thread: purity, tension, precision.

Trinqu'âmes : a pure, upright, mineral Sauvignon. A chiseled, fresh organic wine

Cuvée Clef de Sol Blanc (Montlouis AOC): the estate's signature cuvée, Clef de Sol blanc comes from old Chenin vines on tuffeau. The nose combines ripe apple, chamomile and beeswax. On the palate, it's full-bodied, saline and long, with a chalky finish typical of Montlouis. A wine that's both intense and poised, cut for ageing, perfect with noble fish, mature cheeses or poultry with cream.

Cuvée Clef de Sol Rouge (Touraine AOC): A blend of Côt (Malbec) and Cabernet Franc, vinified with gentle maceration and aged in demi-muids. Nose of black fruit, sweet spices and light tobacco. Dense and juicy on the palate, without excess wood or structure. A complete Loire red, rivaling many southern wines in substance, but with a Loire freshness on the finish.

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Nouveau Nez (Vin de France pétillant naturel): This 100% Chenin Pet'Nat is a model of its kind. Nose of green apple, citrus, damp chalk. On the palate, it's lively, dry, straightforward and thirst-quenching. No dosage, no brutal disgorgement, just a lively, joyful wine.

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Les Épinays (Montlouis-sur-Loire moelleux): A well-balanced mellow wine, based on Chenin overripe by passerillage. Nose of dried apricot, honey and orange peel. Rich on the palate, but always supported by chiseled acidity. Great sweetness without heaviness.

Grenouillières : A superb demi-sec produced on the Montouis terroir, ideal balance between sugar and acidity.

The Domaine de la Grange Tiphaine today embodies one of the most precise, sensitive and sincere expressions of contemporary organic Loire. At the crossroads of Loire classicism and a modern take on living wine, Coralie and Damien Delecheneau are charting a coherent, demanding course, free from fashion.

Their estate is on a human scale, their wines evolve with each vintage, and their ethic is expressed through every bottle: that of care, respect and vitality.