The Cher comes to Belfast - Domaine Joël Delaunay wine tasting

Having spent a year living in Vierzon, in France's Centre-Val de Loire region, I feel a strong connection to the Cher department and the Loire Valley more generally. This part of France is famed for its châteaux and its wines particularly Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc.

I visited several times over the decades, but recently, the Cher came to Belfast in the persons of winemaker, Thierry Delaunay, and his wife, Marie. They brought 9 of their wines with them, to Direct Wine Shipments (DWS), for a meet the wine maker tasting, organised by DWS. 

There was a large crowd of wine enthusiasts, and the air bubbled with conversations and excitement. Making our way up the stairs we each received a welcome glass of sparkling wine at the top before a member of staff assigned everyone to their place in the tasting room.

I had gone on my own but soon our table was a buzz of conviviality, fellow tasters swapping names and sharing wine adventures. A handbell sounded out, and commanded attention. Neil McAlindon, who along with his brother Peter are the owners of DWS, introduced Thierry, and explained how their business relationship first started, and then deepened over several years.

Most tasters were already familiar with Thierry’s Holy Snail Sauvignon Blanc, indeed I had tasted it first almost ten years ago at the suggestion of a local restauranteur, but today we were in for a treat, as the tasting plan also included both a Holy Snail Chardonnay, and Rosé.

Thierry spoke about his family's history and explained how the domaine's labelling preserves the memory of his father, Joël, who had himself taken over from the previous generation.

One of the famous Loire châteaux is Chenonceau, and Thierry pointed out that his proprieté was only about 10 kilometres away from that famous historical landmark. He was proud to share his enthusiasm for the wine appellation Touraine Chenonceaux, and we got to taste a white and red respectively in glasses of La Voûte Sauvignon Blanc, and his L'esprit des Dames.

I liked all the wines we tasted on the day but that L'esprit des Dames captured my imagination. Although it was the most expensive we tasted on the day, I liked it so much that I bought some bottles to enjoy at home. And it was back home that I became intrigued by its label.

Here's the picture. Have a look.

You'll see that it shows a seated woman playing a board game with another player, a young person with another child looking on. The board game in the picture is draughts for which the French word is dames. So could the label really be referring to the spirit of draughts? 

Well yes. It makes sense when you consider all the moves a winemaker has to think about to achieve success. But given where the wine is from, for me it also references the nearby Château of Chenonceau.

This remarkable building is very closely connected with the 16th century King Henri II's paramour Diane de Poitiers and his queen Catherine de'Medici. Later in the 18th century it became the home of Louise Dupin. She earned the sobriquet/nickname "Lady of the Enlightenment" and turned Chenonceau into a celebrated literary salon where she worked on a remarkable defence of Women's Rights with the assistance of her secretary, none other than Jean-Jacques Rousseau. 

I cannot help wondering whether the label carries a double sens meaning not only the spirit of the game of draughts, but also an echo of those remarkable women associated with Chenonceau. Is it L'esprit des Dames, or perhaps Les Dames d'esprit ?

Cheese pairings

Thierry suggested foods to pair with some of his wines and regarding cheese naturally promoted the Cher varieties, Selles-Sur-Cher and Valençay.  I was itching to ask but someone beat me to the question, Why had he not suggested Crottin de Chavignol?  This is one of my favourite goats’ cheeses from the region, he replied that that variety was more suited to Sancerre wine. He smiled mischievously.

It was not just his audience enjoying themselves. He was too.

And he clearly enjoyed ringing that handbell to bring an increasingly chatty room back to order.

Afterwards, it was a particular pleasure to get to chat to him. I was grateful that he agreed to pose for a photo. He suggested we should have a bottle in the picture.

 
"Which would you like?" he asked, "The Holy Snail Sauvignon Blanc?"

He had earlier said that that he enjoyed a glass of that after spending a day working on his wine.

"No? !! " he queried when I shook my head. But I think he was pleased when I asked for La Voûte.

Why you might ask.  It was because on the day its dry citrus flavours and flinty minerality really stood out. A gastronomic wine, it was an expression of its terroir and it transported me back to the Cher.

I was back in the days when it was called La Région Centre - le coeur de la France.

Another treat in store.

When we got back downstairs, Thierry's wines were available to purchase on the spot, or to order for delivery. Our bonus was a 15% discount on orders placed or bought on that day only.

Needless to say, as you know from the label description above, I availed of the offer.

Cher?  Nothing was too dear. 

Wine from the Cher, just right for sharing.

Cheers!