Thierry Allemand
Overview
Thierry Allemand is one of the legendary names of Cornas and the Rhône Valley. A self-taught vigneron who worked under Robert Michel, Allemand produces two cuvées from old Syrah vines on Cornas’s granite hillsides: “Reynard” (from younger vines, ~40–60 years) and “Chaillot” (from the oldest vines, 70–100+ years). The wines are natural, with no fining or filtration, and represent the absolute pinnacle of the appellation.
Production is tiny — total production of both cuvées is only a few thousand cases per year, making the wines extremely sought-after.
Key Wines
- Cornas “Reynard” — granite terroir, 40–60yo vines; powerful, structured
- Cornas “Chaillot” — oldest vines (70–100+ yo); more concentrated and complex
My Cellar
49 total bottles (9 recent).
- Cornas: 49 btls (9 pending), 2000–2022 (extensive vertical including 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008)
A serious vertical with rare older vintages. The 2000 and earlier bottles are among the most valuable in the cellar.
Style Notes
Allemand’s wines are dark, wild, and elemental — black fruit, iron, graphite, white pepper. The natural winemaking results in some reductive notes that blow off with air. At their best (Chaillot from great years), they are among the most profound Syrahs on earth.
My Tastings
Producer Profile (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
JLL describes Thierry Allemand as possessing “plenty of STGT qualities at this top-notch domaine.” He works on low yields with painstaking vinifications and limited use of sulphur. The fruit is clear and well-defined.
Reynard vs. Chaillot: Reynard is the more structured wine, demanding greater patience than Chaillot. Both are high quality year in, year out, though now expensive.
Note: JLL’s description of the cuvee names (Reynard = more structured, Chaillot = more accessible) is the opposite of the VFTC description, which lists Chaillot as the oldest-vine, most concentrated cuvee. This likely reflects a naming convention difference or a source discrepancy worth tracking.
Key historical details:
- A low-profile vintage success is the 2011, since Thierry’s harvest timing was impeccable — the wines have gained depth as they age. His SO2-free Reynard (usual lot of 2,000 bottles) was included that year; the SO2-free bottling ended in 2014.
- In 2015-2016 Thierry made a “Special” Reynard from the old Noel & Louis Verset vineyard (1,200-1,400 bottles). He asserts that only Sabarotte and perhaps Genale would be capable of matching its quality.
- A little Saint-Peray was made in 2005 and 2006. Some Saint-Joseph crop from the southernmost part of the appellation was formerly sent to the Tain Co-operative; one wine was made only in 2005.
Generational transition: Thierry’s son Theo (born 1997) joined the domaine in 2020 — “the most welcome news.” Theo’s first vintage was 2021.
Export markets: 1) Great Britain, 2) USA, 3) Japan. 60% exported.
Key Wines & Vintage Notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)
Cornas Reynard
From 1908-09 Syrah (ex-Noel Verset) and old Pigeonnier vines. The more structured cuvee per JLL; demands patience. Regularly ★★★★★–★★★★★★.
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ★★★★★★ | 2053-55 | Ex-Verset 1908-09 Syrah, 10 hl barrel. “Hums with elegance, poise, potential”; profound |
| 2023 | ★★★★★–★★★★★★ | 2055-57 | Multiple cask tastings; “a great wine is forming here” |
| 2022 | ★★★★★–★★★★★★ | 2052-56 | Well measured coulis, inviting; then iron core on the palate |
| 2021 | ★★★★(★)–★★★★★ | 2054-56 | Gentle assurance, blackberry; satin, sheen, Burgundian |
| 2020 | ★★★★★–★★★★★★ | 2054-56 | Full blackberry-blackcurrant, floral, musky; “tremendous” |
| 2019 | ★★★★★–★★★★★★ | — | Multi-cask; old Chaillot Syrah, Verset vines; massive potential |
| 2018 | ★★★★★★ | 2052-54 | ”Great style in a reserved bouquet… accumulated raspberry, soaked cherries, mystery, rose” |
Cornas Chaillot
More accessible than Reynard. Regularly ★★★★–★★★★(★).
| Vintage | Rating | Drinking Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | ★★★★ | 2048-50 | Lucid, smoky, Morello cherry; cask tastings from different parcels |
| 2023 | ★★★★–★★★★(★) | 2047-50 | Leafy, springy red berry; builds through mid-palate |
| 2022 | ★★★★–★★★★(★) | 2045-48 | Firm core, latent reduction; needs breathing |
| 2021 | ★★★(★)–★★★★(★) | 2046-48 | ”Cloudy”, reduced early; but gains depth |
| 2020 | ★★★★–★★★★(★) | 2044-46 | Curvy blackberry, black olive tapenade, floral |
| 2019 | ★★★★–★★★★(★) | — | Multi-cask; Southern density meets granite drive |
| 2018 | ★★★★(★) | 2045-47 | Aromatic, powdery sweep; violet, iron energy. “May close up” |
Cornas Special from Reynards
From the old Noel & Louis Verset vineyard. Only 1,200-1,400 bottles. Made 2015-2016.
⚠️ JLL notes only 2015 and 2016 vintages appear in the data for this cuvee, consistent with the producer profile.
Vintage Context (from JLL vintage reports)
- 2020: Reynard rated five-to-six stars (“tremendous”); Chaillot four-to-five stars. Cornas in 2020 described by JLL as “tender, soft, gourmandise” — the opposite of the brooding 2019s. See 2020 Rhone Vintage.
- 2021: Theo Allemand’s first vintage. Reynard rated four-to-five stars (“gentle assurance, blackberry; satin, sheen, Burgundian”). The vintage produced wines with degrees around 11.8-12.2 degrees at Cornas. See 2021 Rhone Vintage.
2019: Reynard rated five-to-six stars from multi-cask tastings; “massive potential” from old Chaillot Syrah and Verset vines. Cornas received no August rain (unlike Hermitage and Saint-Joseph), giving denser, more solar packages on a par with 2018. See 2019 Rhone Vintage.
2018: Reynard six stars (“great style in a reserved bouquet… accumulated raspberry, soaked cherries, mystery, rose”). Chaillot four-to-five stars (“aromatic, powdery sweep; violet, iron energy”). Cornas at its solar extreme — Thierry himself prefers the more stylish years such as 2016. See 2018 Rhone Vintage.
2017: Dense, concentrated from the drought. Low acidity vintage that calls ageing potential into question. Thierry prefers the cooler 2016. See 2017 Rhone Vintage.
2016: Thierry’s own preferred style year — the cooler, harmonious vintage in the run of hot years. Charming open fruit with Burgundian amplification. Made the “Special” Reynard from old Verset vineyard in both 2015 and 2016 (1,200-1,400 bottles each). See 2016 Rhone Vintage.
2015: Made the first “Special” Reynard from old Noel & Louis Verset vineyard (1,200-1,400 bottles). Full-bodied, packed reds that were complete from an unusually early stage. Structured tannins for the long haul. See 2015 Rhone Vintage.
2014: Reynard five stars. Allemand harvested before the devastating September 20 rains — JLL recommends Cornas 2014 over Côte-Rôtie: “the wines are superior, grosso modo, to Côte-Rôtie, and they are cheaper.” Cornas was the standout Northern appellation. See 2014 Rhone Vintage.
2013: Reynard five stars. A very good Cornas vintage — wines of elegant fruit, mild tannins, and good balance. See 2013 Rhone Vintage.
2012: The Allemand Reynard “displayed Burgundian tendencies, their length stealthy and accomplished” — the “Pinoté” effect. A singing, elegant vintage at Cornas. See 2012 Rhone Vintage.
2010: Reynard six stars; Chaillot five stars. Allemand: “2010 became very good. It was not like that at the start, but took on body after two months, being quite firm and tannic. I harvested 26 August, 2010 — the crop was too ripe — I had to pick then.” See 2010 Rhone Vintage.
2009: Reynard six stars; Chaillot five stars (Franck Balthazar Chaillot also five stars). Dense, concentrated vintage. See 2009 Rhone Vintage.
2008: “You had to sort — fast — after the rain. We had 240mm in three falls in that first week of September. Our maturity was already good. We went down to 19.8 hl/ha, and harvested around 20 September under good weather. The only secret was to sort.” Reynard rated ★★★★(★) (“joli, floral, Pinot wheels,” drink 2029-31, tasted 10/16). Chaillot rated ★★★ (“content defies vintage,” drink 2020-22). A Saint-Péray was also made in 2005 and 2006, and a one-off Saint-Joseph in 2005. See 2008 Rhone Vintage.
2005: A wonderful Syrah year across the Northern Rhône. JLL compares to 1978. Cornas shows wines of structure with fruit well evident — greater refinement than the blackstrap merchants of yore. See 2005 Rhone Vintage.
See also: 2022 Rhone Vintage, 2023 Rhone Vintage, 2024 Rhone Vintage
Sources
- (Profile derived from CellarTracker data; mentioned in context of Cornas lineup in
sources/articles/VFTC/VFTC Sept-Oct 2025 #119.txt) sources/articles/JLL/Thierry_Allemand.txt— Producer profile (John Livingstone-Learmonth, drinkRhone.com)sources/articles/JLL/rhone_wines_data.json— Wine-by-wine vintage notes (JLL / drinkRhone.com)sources/articles/JLL/rhone_vintage_reports.json— JLL vintage reports 2005-2021