A Visit to Philippe Alliet, 2023
My first visit to meet Philippe Alliet was, in the end, memorable for not meeting Philippe Alliet at all. It was about fifteen years ago, and on arriving at the domaine at the scheduled time Philippe was nowhere to be seen. After some fruitless searching I realised I was not going to find him, and extracting a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket I telephoned the mobile number I had previously scribbled down.
His wife, Claude Alliet answered. They were busy in the vines, but she would come post-haste. Well, at least I think that’s what she said, as it was all in quick-fire French, but I did manage to make out “j’arrive, j’arrive,” and a few minutes later I spotted a little van (in white, as it happens – funny how some useless details stick with you, while important facts fade away and are lost) speeding towards me. It came to a gentle stop outside the cellars, and out stepped Claude. I enjoyed the tasting that followed – the 2006 vintage, if I recall correctly – and bought a few bottles (a few of which are still resting in my cellar). But by the time I departed Philippe had still not shown his face, preferring the company of his vines.
And so I did not quite know quite what to expect on my most recent visit, the first time I have returned in all the years that have since passed (I am besotted with his wines, but I taste with Philippe at the Salon des Vins de Loire each year, so have not visited the domaine as often as I have some others). Would Philippe even be there? Given that the harvest was not quite finished, I would not have been surprised if Philippe had, once again, been busy out in the vines.
As it happens, nothing could be further from the truth.
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