Thierry Allemand Cornas "Chaillot" 2020
(Cornas, Northern Rhône, France) 750 mL - [JD 97]

About the Winery:
Today, there is no more unique figure in the Northern Rhône than Cornas’ Thiérry Allemand. Though not yet 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.

Finally, while deeply rooted in the past, Thiérry’s approach to winemaking is uniquely his. He began in the early 1980s by learning at the feet of two Cornas legends, Joseph Michel and Noël Verset, and 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 unrivaled by anyone in Cornas.

About this Wine:
Cornas Chaillot is based on his vines in Chaillot, but it also includes fruit from the domaine’s younger vines, including Reynard.

Techinical Information

Varietal: 100% Syrah
Vine Age: 5 - 40 yrs
Soil Type: Limestone, Granite
Vineyard Area: 2.02 ha

Viticulture & Vinification:
• Farms organically, working steep, terraced vineyards all by hand (no tractor!)
• Dense plantings naturally reduce yields (< 30 hectoliters per hectare)
• All wines are fermented in stainless steel and open-top wooden vats
• Stems left on cluster during fermentation
• Punch-downs by foot
• All wines are vinified separately
• Wines aged in foudres and barriques for 24 months before final blending and bottling
• Finished wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered
• Very low doses of sulfur, sometimes none at all

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2020 Cornas Chaillot comes from a mix of lieux-dits (it's mostly Chaillot) as well as some younger vines. It's an incredible wine in its own right and certainly doesn't give much in terms quality to its big brother. Awesome aromatics of crème de cassis, violets, crushed stone, and bouquet garni-like notes all define the aromatics, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, concentrated mid-palate, and ultra-fine tannins. It's a touch more finesse-driven and elegant compared to the Reynard and should round into form with just 5-7 years of bottle age. This is legit awesome Cornas that will have 20-25 years of ultimate longevity." (Mar 2024)