Today, there is no more unique figure in the Northern Rhône than Cornas’ Thiérry Allemand. Though only in his 50s, he has been mythologized in much the same way as past greats like Noël Verset, Marius Gentaz and August Clape. He created his domaine from scratch, inheriting nothing from his ancestors. And because he also didn’t have a family fortune behind him, much of his domaine was assembled by laboriously restoring abandoned parcels in great terroirs.
While deeply rooted in the past, Thiérry’s approach to winemaking is uniquely his. He began in the early 1980s by learning at the knees of two Cornas legends, Joseph Michel and Noël Verset, but has gone on to apply a quarter century of personal experience. He has arrived, finally, at a philosophy that, while squarely in the traditional camp, produces wine whose purity and expression of grape variety and place are unrivalled by anyone in Cornas.
96 Points Vinous
Opaque violet color. Intense dark berry, potpourri and olive paste aromas are energized by building mineral and cracked pepper flourishes. Stains the palate with appealingly sweet black and blue fruit, cola, candied violet and spicecake flavors that show a suave blend of depth and energy. Finishes on an emphatic blue fruit note, showing sharp definition, well-knit tannins and resonating florality. Drink 2026-2036.
94 Points Jeb Dunnuck
A quintessential Cornas that shows both the wild, feral character of the appellation as well as the elegance this estate always seems to achieve, the 2019 Cornas Chaillot offers a deep purple hue to go with a great nose of cassis and darker cherry fruits, violets, smoked game, and scorched earth. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has wonderful purity of fruit, building tannins, and a great finish. It’s certainly more approachable than the Reynard yet still needs 4-5 years of bottle age. It’s a beautiful Cornas that will have two decades of longevity. Drink 2022 – 2042.