2018 Chinon Rouge, Vieilles Vignes, Philippe Alliet, Loire

2018 Chinon Rouge, Vieilles Vignes, Philippe Alliet, Loire

Product: 20188042028
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Prices start from £27.95 per bottle (75cl). Buying options
2018 Chinon Rouge, Vieilles Vignes, Philippe Alliet, Loire

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Available for delivery or collection. Pricing includes duty and VAT.

Description

The new vintages see 50% cement tank and 50% large 500l wood barrels; however, the 2018 was aged in 100% cement vats for 18 months.

This cuvée  comes from a selection of 70-year-old vines, which sit just behind the winery. Lovely dark fruit aromas of cherry and fresh plum predominate, intertwined with black pepper and a stunning wet stone freshness. The palate has lovely notes of sweet spices alongside bright black fruits. Offering good length and balance, this is a lovely entry level Chinon.

Drink 2024 - 2032

Yoan Bernard, Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd

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About this WINE

Domaine Philippe Alliet

Domaine Philippe Alliet

Domaine Philippe Alliet is one to reference for making 100% Cabernet Franc wines. The domaine is situated in Cravant-les-Côteaux, home to arguably some of the best Cabernet Franc in the world. Founded in 1985, the domaine is now run by Philippe's son, Pierre, who is revolutionising the Cabernet Franc scene in the Loire, focusing on low yields and meticulous vineyard management.

The oak regime has gone down from 100% new 225-litre barrels to a mere 20% of new wood, 500-litre barrels paired with much longer ageing of up to 20 months. This has drastically changed the style of the range and allows the wines to be approachable young while having great potential to age.

The domaine produces one of the most exciting Chinon ranges in the Loire, spanning from the entry-level Chinon to the top-of-the-range Coteau de Noiré cuvée, located on steep coteaux and perceived as the best plot in Chinon. Pierre emphasises the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly viticulture practices, so he organically farms the 19 hectares of the domaine.

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Chinon

Chinon

Chinon is an important  appellation for the Cabernet Franc grape, located within the Touraine wine region just to the west of Tours. At approximately 2,500 hectares, it represents a slightly larger zone than its neighbour Bourgueil. Part of the appellation, closest to its other voisin St Nicolas de Bourgueil, possesses light, sandy gravel soils to give an easy drinking style, while the remainder is blessed with a tuffeau subsoil from which the wines draw a finer structure and longevity. Neither style approaches the fullness of Bourgueil however.

 

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Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc is widely planted in Bordeaux and is the most important black grape grown in the Loire. In the Médoc, it may constitute up to 15% of a typical vineyard – it is always blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is used to add bouquet and complexity to the wines. It is more widely used in St Émilion, where it adapts well to the cooler and moister clay soils.

Cabernet Franc thrives in the Loire, where the cooler growing conditions serve to accentuate the grape’s herbaceous, grassy, lead pencil aromas. The best wines come from the tuffeaux limestone slopes of Chinon and Bourgueil.

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When is a wine ready to drink?

We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.

Not ready

These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.

Ready - youthful

These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.

Ready - at best

These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.

Ready - mature

These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.