La Grange Tiphaine is an historic family estate in Amboise, in the Middle Loire Valley. It was created in the late 19th century by Alfonse Delecheneau and is now run by the fifth-generation: Damien and his wife, Coralie, Delecheneau. Their farming is certified both organic and biodynamic. Côt is the variety that we more commonly call malbec. (Côt is still the grape’s proper name in France). Its origin is in Southwest France, where it makes the famous “Black wine of Cahors” and whence it migrated to Argentina in the late 19th century.
La Grange Tiphaine’s côt comes from true vieilles vignes: 120-130-year-old ungrafted vines. The wine fermented in concrete vats and then aged for 9 months in 225-liter oak barrels. It is dark, deep, earthy, and mouth-filling, with a floral note that suggests violets. At four years old, it has complexity and elegance from some bottle age, but it’s still quite fresh and youthful: "seductively pleasurable," we all agreed while tasting it. The Delecheneaus call it “an iron fist in a velvet glove.” It’s a wine built for meat, whether roasted, braised or grilled. Slow-roasted root vegetables or aged cheeses also will work well.
