Domaine Philippe Alliet

The first steps Le Maître de Chai undertook as private importers involved a handful of producers in Burgundy and the Loire. Philippe Alliet’s wines came on board during our launch in 1996. Little known at the time, Philippe is now considered the pope of Chinon. They have serious density because the labor in the vines is all about low yields. He spends most of his time tending the vineyard. Within an appellation known for producing easy-drinking wines for the terraces of Paris, Philippe Alliet is an outsider. We have to say, we love the outsiders of the wine world.

His Coteau de Noire cuvée is a coveted wine. Both it, and his cuvée L’Huisserie, come from the limestone and silica hills of Cravant. It’s best to wait a few years before drinking them. His Tradition and Vieilles Vignes cuvees stem from sandy, gravelly soils that yield wines whose structures loosen more quickly. Now available at the SAQ, they’re wines that have caught on fast.