Thierry Allemand, Cornas 'R' Reynard, Rhône, France, 2021

Overview the Wine
Thierry Allemand is a one-man team making wines of exceptional purity. His name may not go back 100 years in the village, but he did learn to make wine from local legend Robert Michel (who saved Thierry's life once when he fell into a cask of wine…for real!). Allemand makes only single-vineyard Cornas: Reynard and Chaillot. They are two of the world’s greatest wines. (They are not strictly single-vineyard wines, as sometimes Allemand will put his oldest vine Chaillot in the Reynard, and both wines might borrow a bit from other sites; it varies vintage to vintage.) Interestingly, Allemand uses very little sulphur and even makes a small amount of zero-sulphur Reynard. However, the wines are exceptionally clean and do not appear to suffer from its absence at all.

Because of the complexity of Thiérry’s story—and the fact that he is taciturn when it comes to talking about it—most of what has been written about Thiérry is incomplete. One of the best profiles can be found at wineterroirs.com. But even here, Bert Celce describes Thiérry’s work as a domaine bottler beginning in 1991: “He began to sell the wine to the négoce in 1987, until 1991 when the négociants refused to pay him the 32 Francs/liter (about 5 €) rate he asked for his Chaillots and Reynards wines. From then on, he did the bottling and commercialized his wine himself.”

Grape / Blend
Syrah

Origin
Rhône, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Made from 100% syrah grapes. The wine has a deep, dark color with a complex aroma of black fruits, spices, and smoked meat. On the palate, it is full-bodied and rich, with flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and licorice, with a hint of minerality. The wine has firm tannins and high acidity, making it an excellent candidate for aging. It pairs well with grilled meats, game, and strong cheeses. The wine is likely to develop more complexity and depth with further aging in the bottle.

Product size: 750ml