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.
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 wineโฆfor real!). Allemand makes only single-vineyard Cornas: Reynard and Chaillot. They are two of the worldโs 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.