ALLEMAND CHAILLOT SURVEY - Chicago, IL (5/4/2023)
Wines listed in the order tasted. Turns out, I really like Allemand.
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2017 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Initially, I really, really loved this -- it was showing such exuberant red and black fruit, bright florals, and just a slight tinge of the classic syrah salinity, pepper, and olive (there's gotta be some word to describe the collection of those flavours). Fresh and elegant, with a lightness and elegance that is bolstered by the intense minerality here. Coming back to this at the end of the dinner though, it was clear that this didn't have quite the same length as some of the other wines. (I also want to point out that the variability in impressions over just a few hours means you should take all my notes with a giant hunk of Himalayan pink salt.) (93 points) -
2015 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Can't believe it's been so long since I last tasted this. This is very dark in complexion, with more of a black-fruited, plummy character, but the fruit isn't on full display here. There's a lot of leathery qualities as well, and the palate is very large-scaled. Not as fruit-forward and elegant as many of the other wines, this is a brooding, somewhat monolithic wine right now, but it's pretty clear that there's good material and potential. Not the most interesting of vintages to open right now. I'll also note that my 2018 note had this with distinctly red fruit -- I didn't find that to be the case at all today. (95 points) -
2011 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
In my mind, this is the weakest wine that Allemand made in the 2010s (yeesh, I write this every time I have it like a broken record). There's a green stemminess to it (somewhat reminiscent of 2004 red Burgundy, but nowhere as offensive), and the palate has always come off very light and lacking in weight to me. This bottle wasn't too different from those experiences. The fruit is light and wispy, very much more red than black, and there's a thinness that the other wines didn't have. The acidity shows quite a bit here too. (90 points) -
2014 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
A distinctively white-peppered nose, this comes across almost a little St. Joseph-like with that aroma and general lightness on the palate. Like the 2011, this is a relatively thinner wine, not showing the weight or the intensity of fruit as the other vintages. The profile is distinctly red-fruited, and like the 2011, this is a vintage that feels very much driven by its acidity. Drinking nicely now and with a nascent sense of resolution; probably one to polish off sooner than later. (90 points) -
2012 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
There was a lot of debate at the table as to whether the 2012 or 2013 was preferred (they were served side-by-side). I waffled on this myself, as I thought the 2012 was showing very well right now as a wine for drinking. Ultimately, the longer-term potential rests with the 2013. But for now, the 2012 drinks like a less intense, more resolved, and less tannic version of the 2015. With air, some more olive/saline notes emerge on the nose. The fruit is rounded and plush, on the black side of the spectrum. There's modestly leathery tannins here, but not an overbearing amount. The ripe fruit gives this a sensation of sweetness that I quite like as well (me with the Parkerized palate these days, after all). A really good drinking vintage right now, but there's definitely enough fruit and tannin here that you would be rewarded for further aging this. And despite how well I liked this tonight, I'm inclined to age my bottles a little more. (93 points) -
2013 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
This felt quite structural today, and not as open and plush as I remembered this wine being. It doesn't really surprise me that this might have just been in a bit of an awkward stage right now. In any case, next to the black-fruited, leathery 2012, this is much more red-fruited and minerally, with more of an acid cut, and plenty more fine-grained tannins. It's a little hard to really enjoy right now, but there's a lot of upside here, even if this comes across as a more "granitic" iteration of Chaillot (or Cuvée C). (93 points) -
2009 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
It was a bit controversial at the table, but I personally found this to be drinking better than the 2010 tonight. That's not to say that this was the better wine, but just that it was far more open for business today. It's definitely a heart-on-its-sleeve edition with very ripe, plush fruit on both the nose and palate, and yet it never goes over the top. There's plenty of classic syrah notes here, and while others at the table found the alcohol sticking out a bit, I thought this wine, albeit very large-scaled, to be very much in balance. And despite all the fruit here, there's still that silky Allemand texture (which, really, was in all the wines tonight, but is repetitive for me to write). (95 points) -
2010 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
I don't think it was any surprise to anyone that this was going to be one of the wines of the night, even before we got around to tasting it. And of course, a superlative wine it is. It's a little structural and not as giving as the 2009 (which I preferred for the sheer enjoyment of drinking right now), but in my mind it's inordinately obvious that this is a legendary wine in the making, along the lines of the 2010 Chave and Jamet. So in some sense, this wine merely met expectations. It's a mix of red and black fruit, and interestingly slightly more feral than what I typically associate with Allemand. Sturdy structure that feels like it's got a good decade before it softens, and only modest saline/meat/olive/smoke notes right now. A wine of potential right now, but it's so exciting to experience it. (98 points) -
2008 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
2008 was, of course, considered a weaker vintage, but the wines of Jamet, Chave, and of course, Allemand are anything but. This certainly shows the cooler side of the vintage, with more red fruit and acidity, and a generally lighter, more acid-driven palate that doesn't have the breadth and length as many of the other vintages. For my palate, this is fully mature and ready to enjoy now; I'm not thinking there's too much upside for further aging, because I do enjoy having a modicum of primary fruit still in my wine. (93 points) -
2006 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
Nothing like the bottle tasted a fortnight ago. I suspected a bit of TCA, but also it seemed like there was some heat damage as well. (NR/flawed) -
2000 Thierry Allemand Cornas Chaillot - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Cornas
That's the stuff. Fully mature and drinking so well right now. This is almost as good as it gets for syrah, and because this is Allemand, the thing that sticks out most is that luxuriously silky texture on the palate. There's red fruit on the nose, without too prominent any of the smoke/blood/olive/brine stuff going on, and yet this is unmistakably syrah at the same time. On the palate, there's more red fruit (even though it's a little lean and tart), and fully resolved tannins. Stunning stuff, even in the context of Allemand. (98 points)
