Philippe Alliet, Chinon (Loire Valley, France) 2015

 Most wine lovers are already aware that 2015 is shaping up as a terrific year for red wines from much of Europe–especially France.  Yet, many have not tasted any wines from the vintage yet, and if you’re looking to dive in, this would be a fine bottle to get you started.  It shows very notable generosity in fruit and richness (more than is usually the case for Cabernet Franc-based wines from Chinon), yet there’s not the slightest hint of over-ripeness, and the slightly herbal, leafy character of the variety is still evident behind the expressive fruit.  The label image here shows a past vintage, but I include it anyway…just so you don’t make the mistake of walking past this unawares in a retail store.