2018 Thierry Allemand - Cornas - 1 Bouteille (0,75 l)

75cl bottle of Thierry Allemand Cornas Reynard 2018, label and capsule in excellent condition.

Bottled at the château.

Shipping via UPS.

About the estate: Formerly an electromechanical engineer, Thierry Allemand is now one of the elite winemakers of the steep slopes of Cornas… and, without a doubt, of the Northern Rhône Valley. His bottles command high prices, rewarding some twenty years of dedicated and discreet work.

This estate is well-known today, yet the vines cover a small area of ​​five hectares. This historic family estate in the appellation was taken over by Thierry Allemand in 1981, and since then, he has worked tirelessly, raising his wines to the highest level of the appellation.

Respectful of nature, Thierry Allemand and his team (22 people) care for their vines with natural products such as copper, avoiding the use of herbicides. The steep terraces make mechanization impossible, so the soil is worked with a winch and pickaxe. Respectable practices that Thierry Allemand doesn't want to label with organic certification. "If you don't like physical work, you'll never be a good winemaker in Cornas," he asserts.

In the cellar, the work is just as meticulous, using gravity flow (without pumping): the wines are made in a "natural" spirit, without additives and therefore without sulfur. Every step is carefully considered: the grapes are not destemmed, maceration and punch-downs are slow and gentle, and the 24-month aging in used barrels (never new oak) without racking is enriched by three months of aging in large oak casks. As a result, the wines offer a beautiful personality, but also have the advantage of being approachable young. The estate produces two single-vineyard wines: Reynard and Chaillot, and, when the vintage allows, a sulfite-free cuvée.

The estate's production is very limited (fewer than 15,000 bottles), and the wines, highly sought after, are particularly rare, especially in France, as 85% of the production is exported.

About the cuvée: Thierry Allemand. He is a true icon of the Cornas vineyards. This former electromechanical engineer has mastered the steep slopes of the appellation through meticulous work. Indeed, the soils are worked by winch and pickaxe, as mechanization is not an option. Herbicides are banned. Despite this, the winemaker has never sought organic certification. To create this Reynard Cornas, the work in the cellar is equally meticulous and adheres to a philosophy that respects living organisms. Thus, the wine is vinified without sulfites or any other additives. The Syrah undergoes a slow maceration and gentle extraction to preserve the purity of the fruit. Similarly, the wine is aged for an extended period in used oak barrels before continuing its maturation for three months in large oak casks.
Tasting reveals a great terroir-driven wine with an intense ruby ​​color and violet highlights. From this hue emerge aromas of black fruits (blueberry, blackberry, blackcurrant, black cherry), sweet spices, pepper, tobacco, leather, game, and violet. We recommend cellaring it for a few years to soften its tannic structure, allowing it to complement flavorful dishes.