Domaine Philippe Alliet Chinon Coteau de Noiré - 2021 (750ml)

This wine comes from one of the finest vineyard sites in Chinon, just outside the village of Cravant-les-Côteaux.  Philippe Alliet had his eye on this southern facing, wide, steep (45%) slope just below the Château de Noiré for many years before it became available.  For logistical reasons, the farming is done almost entirely by hand.

95 points Robert Parker

This site is known to produce relatively dense, powerful wines in ripe vintages, yet the 2021 Chinon Coteau de Noiré stands out as exceptional. It unfolds in the glass with aromas of lead pencil, licorice, dark wild berries and cassis. Full-bodied, dense and chunky, it’s seamless and velvety with a layered core of fruit framed by powdery, generous tannins that segues into a long, mineral finish framed by perfectly controlled power. I appreciate wines like this that purely express the terroirs and are capable of long aging. Keep it over the next decade. - Luis Gutiérrez