Yes, it’s that time of year! As we approach Christmas, traditionally domaines open their doors and welcome private customers to taste and buy wines for their upcoming festivities.
It’s been hard for growers these past couple of years. Private customer sales are very important to producers in the Loire and opening the doors to the public has been impossible for a long while.
So, it was with great pleasure that we popped over to Cour-Cheverny to taste the wines of Benoit Daridan last weekend.
We’ve not been to the winery for a while and since we were last there they’ve constructed a very swish tasting room and reception area. It’s bright and modern, spacious and elegant.
The day was well organised. We showed our ‘pass sanitaire’ upon arrival and were given a little bracelet to show that we’d complied which meant we could come and go without having to present our credentials every few minutes!
Two tasting areas were set up. One in the main tasting room where we tasted ‘Les Traditions’ and then another tasting area alongside the oak barrels where we tasted ‘Les Signatures’.
Like other growers in the region, yields were extremely low this year. The domaine had 4 hectares that produced nothing at all and temperatures dipped to minus 8°C in Cheverny (much lower than we had here in Vouvray).
AOC Cheverny Blanc 80% Sauvignon 20% Chardonnay
The 2020 was ripe and fruity on the nose with quite a citrus overtone. Some tropical notes on the mid palate led to a lush finish.
AOC Cour-Cheverny 100% Romorantin
Romorantin is a unique grape variety that you’ll only find in the appellation of Cour-Cheverny. Normally it’s high in acidity and takes a long while to soften. The 2020 was surprisingly soft . With a rich ripe colour and the warmth of alcohol coming through on the palate the grapes for this wine were picked 8-10 days after the other white varieties.
Touraine Primeur 2020
For the first time, the estate has made a ‘primeur’ wine in the style of a Beaujolais Nouveau. From the Gamay grape it was light in style, and peppery on the nose.
We were less impressed with the ‘Signature’ range. The reds seemed to be very oak dominated and the moelleux wines not really moelleux (sweet but not very sweet).
We did however really enjoy L’Improbable 2012 which is sold in the Vin de France category because some of the grapes used fall outside the geographic region for Cour-Cheverny. 100% Romorantin with an oxidative note on the nose and a hint of wild mushrooms on the palate. This would be brilliant paired with chicken cooked in a creamy sauce with morilles mushrooms. They think so too hence the mushroom on the label.
This is the first of many open doors events and tastings to follow. It’s good to be back tasting and hearing stories from the growers over a glass of wine.
