Domaine Philippe Alliet: Wines
The portfolio of wines made by Philippe Alliet naturally focuses on red, and to some extent it mirrors the portfolio of vineyards, with the two most significant lieux-dits represented here. Speaking in general terms, the fruit is picked by hand and today is delivered to the cellars at Briançon. Yields are kept to a low level. After sorting and destemming 100% of the harvest (for the reds, anyway) the exact details of the fermentation vary according to the cuvée in question.
Perhaps the biggest controversy (for some) regarding the wines of Philippe Alliet is the obvious influence that his love of Bordeaux has on his approach to vinification, in particular the lengthy élevage and once-prominent use of oak. Philippe has been a regular visitor to Bordeaux for many years, and when he could not afford new barrels he would at least source his second-hand barrels from the best sources, including a number of highly regarded domaines, for example Château Margaux. The oft-heard criticism, in the era before he acquired his limestone lieux-dits and the wines were coming solely from the more sandy terroirs around Briançon, was that the wines simply didn’t have the depth of fruit or substance to handle such heavy oak treatment.
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