The unusual white wine from the Romorantin grape.

Wine geek mode was at full-throttle when I saw on our map that the village of Cour-Cheverny was nearby. I asked Elizabeth to take a detour off the A10 so we could grab some lunch and try the unusual white wine of this tiny AOC. I've been eagerly wanting to post something on this bottle of 2005 Domaine de la Désoucherie from Christian Tessier but to my surprise, top blogger, David McDuff posted on this exact producer (although a different vintage) last October so it seems that I'll need to specialize in Burgenlander Neubergers before I find my true blogging niche.

Cour-Cheverny: the ultimate in situ sipper.

Upgraded from VDQS to AOC in 1993, Cour-Cheverny must be produced from the quondam almost extinct Romorantin grape. David McDuff informed us that Romorantin has its origins in Burgundy which certainly makes sense. The Burgundian influence is found throughout the Centre, and Chardonnay creeps into the various Chenin and Sauvignon blends found in the fringe AOCs of this part of the Loire. The slightly better known Cheverny AOC permits up to 15% Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc to be blended with its Sauvignon.

My tasting notes have a slightly different set of flavor profiles from David's, which is understandable since they are not exactly for the same wine. I found the 2005 to have an oily texture with medium acidity, with pine on the nose (or even pine cone), hinting at smoked orange peel, pekoe tea, and traditional poultry herbs. It's an odd wine and Elizabeth described it as old-fashioned, a descriptor I liked very much. Quickly searching for Cour-Cheverny on the internet turned up just a few examples at retailers here in the U.S. so it can be a challenging wine to find. Nonetheless, I'm glad this wine still exists and makes for and interesting stop if you're traveling in the area.