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Philippe Alliet Chinon Vieilles Vignes 2003
I
have been drinking a few more Loire reds over the past few weeks, some old
favourites as well as some wines new to me. This week and next week I will be
looking at two that stood out in particular, both from the vineyards of the
Touraine. This week a wine from one of the Loire's best known appellations, and
certainly the best in terms of quality as far as red wines are concerned, in my
opinion. Nevertheless the wines of Chinon, and perhaps the red wines of the Loire as a whole,
have a reputation for greenness, betraying the inclusion of
under-ripe fruit and stalks in the fermentation vats. Whereas this may be less of an issue in
recent vintages, which have been more favourable for the ripening of red grapes
than some others have in the past, it is still a region where careful selection (on the
part of the consumer as well as the vigneron) can go a long way towards
ensuring a good wine. This is no different to any other wine region of course.
Around Chinon there are a handful of names to look out for;
Bernard Baudry,
Couly-Dutheil and
Olga Raffault to
name just three. Without doubt, Philippe Alliet is another, and indeed many
would consider this domaine the leader in the appellation. Alliet is a Bordeaux
enthusiast, visiting the region regularly, and when one looks at his commitment
to wine, and to his vineyards, it is perhaps no surprise that his wines possess the style and
panache with which they are endowed.
Although
Philippe Alliet started out small he has since expanded his domaine, most
notably with the acquisition of the Coteau de Noire vineyard, which gives him
his flagship wine. The wine tasted here is perhaps the next in his small but
impressive portfolio, the Chinon Vieilles Vignes, in this case the
2003 vintage, which is sourced from 50-year old vines. When poured this has
a very dark, glossy appearance, a deeply coloured dark claretty hue, extending
from the core right out to a thin, deep pink rim. The nose is really impressive,
showing a deep purity of dark berry fruit that is not a common finding in the
appellation. It is deeply characterful and yet also very pure and fresh. On the
palate, it has an old vines creaminess and again a fine freshness, gently
underpinned by a little core of ripe, polished tannins. This has a wonderful
concentration and extract, all framed in a stylish and smooth texture. Very good
indeed, with fine potential for the cellar. 17+/20 (28/5/07)
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