Fennel, resin and lightly-cooked blackberry mark the nose of Alliet’s rather strongly new wood-influenced 2007 Chinon Coteau de Noire. Texturally rich and with dark, rather brooding berry fruit, resinous scrub, humus, black pepper, and crushed stone it finishes with impressive length if a bit less juiciness and certainly less energy and mineral nuance than the young-vines L’Huisserie.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