2016 Chinon, L'Huisserie, Domaine Philippe Alliet, Loire

I'm told that, like 2021, the 2016 vintage gave wines with high acidity, which need time and decanting but are good with food.Sharp, snippy, not up for conversation. A bit skinny. Bark and tamarind. Thick kohl and coal tannins. I’d love to taste this as advised: decanted, with food.Drink now to 2026Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com (November 2023)

The 2016 Chinon L'Huisserie is from the upper part of the coteaux and cultivated on argile-silex soils. Fermented and aged for six months in concrete tanks, then for one year in 500-liter barrels and for another six months in concrete again, this is a very elegant and floral Cabernet Franc from 15-year-old vines. It is generously fruity, perfectly ripe and concentrated as well as gentle and charming, like cool silk on the palate, and reveals lovely nervous acidity on the finish. The tannins are clear, fine and fresh. This is an excellent Chinon with a straight yet beautifully floral, elegant and refined character.The most recent vintage of the domain I tasted was the 2017, which was very good. The harvest was very early and went from September 18 to 25. Due to spring frost, the yields were relatively low, at 35 hectoliters per hectare for Cabernet Franc. Drink 2020 - 2030 Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate (August 2021)

The 2016 L'Huisserie is starting to open up and develop some savory nuances. It gives the sense of a more classic year in that it's not opulent and has a real sense of tension; it's more conservative and demure rather than upfront like the warmer years at the end of the decade. It has a long life in it. That flint part of the terroir just keeps on carrying the fragrance in waves.The father-and-son team of Philippe and Pierre Alliet have raised the bar for what’s possible with Loire Cabernet Franc and are now running one of the top domaines in Chinon. Pierre now mostly runs the estate's day-to-day, with 18 hectares of Cabernet Franc and a single hectare of Chenin Blanc. One thing he’s introduced is using more cement tanks and less oak. The south-facing limestone slope of L’Huisserie and the steep site called Côteau de Noire are two of the top single vineyards in all of Chinon.Drink 2023 - 2037Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous.com.com (July 2022)