Philippe Alliet Chinon Vieilles Vignes, Loire, France

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Not all but most barrels (of 2, 3, and 4 years’ age) intended for Alliet’s 2009 Chinon Vieilles Vignes were through malo when I visited him in late June, so that I was able to get an approximate impression of what lies in store, although some shaking was necessary to dissipate gas and reduction. Diverse bittersweet berries and herbs; nut oils.; smoky-sweet scents of machine oil all emerge from the glass and saturate the palate with fine tannins and firm, bright resolve, leading to a finish in which black tea, artichoke, and crushed stone compliment and accentuate this wine’s tactile sense of piquancy and pungency; in which a sense of buoyancy is suggested; and juicy tart berries and saline shrimp shell reduction leave me licking faintly sizzling, smoke-tainted lips. This is going to make a superb bottle, probably worth pursuing for the better part of a decade. And, remarkably for the vintage, Alliet swears it’s only 12.5 in alcohol. Philippe Alliet thinks his 2009s will surpass his 2005s in elegance, and comparing the 2005s today I hazard the guess that the fruit of his 2009s will stay fresh longer as well. 2009 will be the first commercialize-able vintage here in white wine, but that opulent, 14.6% alcohol wine – while it nevertheless displayed luscious potential – had not even finished its alcoholic fermentation when I visited in late June! Interestingly Alliet opined that 2008 was – in contrast with 2007 – uniform enough in ripeness that no significant triage was required. But I found precisely the more seamless ripeness of his top 2007s their advantage over 2008.A Daniel Johnnes Selection imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300. Also imported by Beaune Imports, Berkeley, CA 94708; tel. (510) 559 1040