Magnum. Decanted for 45 minutes. This 15 year old Syrah is cherry red. The nose is tobacco leather and spice, strawberry, maybe rhubarb. The palate reflects the nose. Medium body, tannins haven’t fully matured, though this wine is completely approachable. Full mouth swallow, has great balance and length.
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Allemand Chaillot survey (Chicago, IL): 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.
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Opened to celebrate the UConn championship game. Spectacularly fragrant and perfumed with bright red fruit, green olives, high-toned herbal and peppery notes, and an intensely gamey character. The aromatics alone are worth the price of admission. It's very good on the palate, though not anywhere near as thrilling or complex as the nose might suggest. A touch lean with some tannins clamping down on the finish as the fruit fades somewhat abruptly - the lighter vintage is definitely apparent on the palate (particularly the back end), but my goodness the aromatics were something special.
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I take it back. I gave this 91 back in 2020…and I can only assume it was an off bottle. This is magical, ghostly in its elegance. Red fruit (red current, cranberry), wild flowers, Jasmin- it’s an expression of Syrah that’s completely new to me. This feels far removed from the scorched earth of Cornas, positively cool climate. Such beauty and elegance but with enough power to easily compliment the onlget steak and the leaks (which I burnt). I get the hype and I stand corrected!!
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"The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Chicago, IL): You know it's a pretty good dinner when there's a third of a bottle of Allemand left at the end of it (and not because the bottle was messed up either). Red-fruited, light, and very lifted with typical Allemand perfumed aromatics. Very clean on both the nose and palate, though this veers a little more towards the acidity to the detriment of all the other good things in this wine. Modestly chewy tannins on the finish still. In a very good spot now, with limited upside. No rush, though.
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Beautiful bottle brought to dinner by S. Lewis. Violet dust, pastilles, game and blackberry on the nose. Fine grained, resolving tannins and mouthwatering acidity. Expansive and lengthy in the mouth with fabulous after-aromas. Wish I were able to drink these more often. Thanks, Sabra!
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Boldly red-fruited on the nose with herbal, stony and smoky notes. Totally unadulterated and beautifully savory with slight VA that adds to the whole. On the palate medium-bodied with ripe, very civilized fine-grained tannins that grip confidently but gently. Young without a doubt but refined, not angular at all, and as such enjoyable.
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Allemand's young-vine cuvée mainly from lieu-dit Chaillot, but including young-vine fruit from Le Bois, Les Saveaux, Pigonnier, Reynard and Thézier lieux-dits. The fruit is nearly or completely in whole clusters and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and open-top fermentors. Punch-downs by foot. Aged unracked for 18-24 months in old oak barrels and foudres with minimal SO2 additions. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO2 additions or without any sulfites. 13,5% alcohol.
Dark yet beautifully luminous and moderately translucent cherry red color. Beautifully fragrant bouquet with layered aromas of ripe black raspberries and fresh red plums, some heady exotic spices, light floral notes of violets, a little bit of lifted sauvage character that lends a fragrant, subtly spicy note of phenolic character, a hint of ripe red cherry a a faint sweet volatile touch of nail polish, lifting the sweeter red-fruited notes a little bit. The wine is dry, clean and quite crunchy on the palate with beautifully silky textures, a medium body and bright flavors of brambly black raspberries and juicy blackcurrants, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of fragrant herbs and a faint sauvage touch of lifted volatile character. The wine certainly has a subtly wild side to it, but the wine is nevertheless all about finesse; there are no rough edges, yet the wine never comes across as polished or glossy. The high acidity and quite ample yet ripe and gentle tannins lend wonderful firmness and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is long, dry and somewhat grippy with fine-tuned and enjoyably savory flavors of brambly black raspberries and fresh red plums, some peppery spice, a little bit of meaty umami, light ferrous notes of blood, a perfumed hint of violets and a touch of Mediterranean herbs.
From a cooler and rainier vintage, it does show - although Allemand's personal, minimal-interventionist style does so, too. After a lineup of more muscular and darker-toned Northern Rhône Syrah wines, this Allemand bottling came across as strikingly delicate, fine-tuned and - simply put - more Burgundian than the other wines. Especially compared to the Cornas wines of Clape, this wine showed more red-toned fruit compared to the more darker-toned expression of Clape, and even though the Clape wines weren't lacking in acidity, the Allemand had definitely more emphasis on freshness, focus and acidity. This is not a brooding and tightly-knit Cornas all about olives and charred gamey tones, but instead a relatively delicate and supple - yet still very serious - expression of Cornas that feels like a missing link between Northern Rhône and Côte de Nuits. Drinking wonderfully right now and neither the fruit nor the structure call for any additional cellaring, but seeing how youthful the wine still is, it doesn't take much imagination to see how much there is upside to aging this wine. Considering how 2008 wasn't a memorable vintage in Northern Rhône, this wine was just absolutely gorgeous.
Clear medium light red. Very fresh floral nose, tea, red cherry, thyme, pencil lead and a hint of smoked meat. Dry red fruit and tea flavours and a long beautiful finish.
I was struck by how fresh and floral this wine was. Beautiful.
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Hitting its drinking window. Lovely nose with notes of blueberry plum mixed with meat, game, olive, with a hint of iron. Tannins are resolving and acidity beautifully balanced. Not quite 15 yes but close enough?
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Powerful bouquet of sour cherry, liquorice, leather, pine and a hint of white pepper in the finish. On the palate, balanced, with mouthwatering acidity and fully integrated tannins. Top class syrah but you need to pay up for it.
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Enjoyed it but not the best, or perhaps not as good as I was expecting from the mighty Allmand. Good nose on opening but after 3 hr decant it tasted a bit thin. Quite tannic too. Not a good year but I couldn’t work out if I’d opened this too late or too early. I have one more bottle, I’ll give in 3 years...guess time will tell.
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I am a devoted Allemande fan and have yet to try a bottle of his that was not very good or more. The deep terroir, savory notes, tastes of moist earth and the wonderful black pepper Syrah lead are handled most beautifully. The Chaillot 2008 is the least impressive bottle I have had; the black pepper was perfectly delineated, with round edges and wonderful Asian aromas. But the complexity was a bit less than usual and the medium body did not deliver the full complexity or deep gamey notes I have come to know. And I kept thinking as I drank this bottle that I wanted the Reynard. So this is delicious now with a tiny decant and should stand up for yearS. I doubt it Will develop more complexity with time.
Fenraury 16: second half of Coravin'd bottle: delightful, black pepper, animale, smooth. Still lacks more grainy corps and complexity.
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My first encounter with Thierry Allemand Cornas, a deeply flavoured and nuanced Cornas without any heavy oak or extraction. Tasted blind - Deeply laced dark berries with a hint of peppery note. Nuanced and subtle with clean fruits and mild earthy truffles. Northern Rhone? St Joseph? (88/100)
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Melted granite rocks on the nose. Hit of heat. Also some black olive tapenade. Some raspberry and black cherry. Hint of bay leaf. On the palate, lots of black fruits. Black pastilles. Well integrated tannins. A very slight woody element on the finish. Overall pretty and approachable but I see good life ahead.
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Renegade Wine Dinner - Thierry Allemand (Marc Forgione - Tribeca, NYC): I know '08 was a tough vintage, but I really liked this. My second favorite of the flight (10,09,08). The pepper really comes through with the fruit here and again that silky mouthfeel. Perhaps a little less showy than the 09 for me but still a stellar performance. I think the CT window of 2024 is far to early.
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Another night with Salil: Explosive white pepper and floral elements that I'm told define Allemand wines. Savory and polished, this is a tremendous wine.
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Four years since I last had this, and it's starting to re-emerge from what seemed to be a surly/somewhat closed phase then. Those explosive lavender, violet, peppery, and gamey/cured meat aromatics are coming through in spades, and the palate feels remarkably light and polished, showing fresh red berried fruit and briny olive notes with a lovely finishing smokiness. There's still a touch of grainy tannin here, but it's so good to drink right now and I'm not sure I want to leave my other bottles in the cellar to age further.
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Really quite exceptional. Tannins have mellowed out and it has the most gorgeous smell of violets and a certain gaminess. Very perfumed and elegant and the finish goes on forever. Pricy but considering getting another bottle.
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vs. 08 chave herm... even deeper color than have showing more extraction and a more youthful rim. compared to the 08 chave this is very cornas on the nose with more of that mediterranean olive note vs the pepper… dark fruited and more brambly than chave. on the palate also more cornas’y with higher acids, more rustic tannins… more savage and wild than refined. another great wine with balance, length, and intensity… kind of in a monolithic adolescent phase so i’d leave this alone for a few years. clearly will evolve for a decade plus.
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Initially closed and ashy. Decanted 3-4 hours and this opened up and resolved into two distinct partitions: a light, aromatic wine with lots of green peppercorn and juniper (and still some of those ash notes), sitting atop a denser base wine with a gentle yet striking richness. This latter bit is something new I have not seen previously in younger bottles. Fascinating and delicious. I'll wait another 2-3 years before revisiting as I'd really like to see that richness continue to emerge.
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Decanted two hours. Silky, perfectly balanced, sweet fruit, dry supremely long finish, meat juice, delightfully polished wine. Has another decade, but ready now. WOTN for me.
Decanted for 2 hours in a wide mouth before drinking; had some noticeable sediment. Oh wow. A peppery almost agave note that gets so earthy it's almost mezcal dominates the nose with some green background and a beautifully light bodied attack. What a ravishing wine. Now I wish I had more...!
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spectacularly good. hits all cylinders on the nose with black pepper, smoke, meat, olive, sweet plum, and violets. palate bright, lighter bodied, and fresh. smoky with red currant, raspberry, and more pepper. plenty of depth here. dry dusting of super fine tannin. cruises across the palate. long finish. can hold this a few but absolutely no reason to wait.
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Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): A great wine in it's own right, but in the flight this came across as a lighter more elegant version of the 2006. Full, ethereal aromas of polished black fruit, pepper, olives and smoked meat. The palate has medium body. Very bright with good fresh acids. Again, very nice in a lighter style.
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Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): This was much more open and giving than the Reynard (which was the same verdict I had when we did the 2008 horizontal fourteen months ago). Nothing has changed. The signature polish is there, with the sweet fruit and meat, but this time, the fruit has veered a little more towards the red side. This is a much lighter wine than the 2006 as well, showing some sweet red berries. While I think in the end, the stuffing in the Reynard will cause it to eclipse this wine, this is the 2008 Allemand to drink now.
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Short decant. Black berries, tapenade, leather, spice. A delicate/elegant Cornas. The acid is perfect making this great with some good heavy food like the Cassoulet at Cafe Campagne, Seattle.
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A young wine that was brilliant after being decanted for a couple of hours. Deep, black fruit that seemed to pop in your mouth. Savory and peppery also, pairing well with lamb shoulder cooked with rosemary. With time, a perfumed boudoir smell, a mineral blood-orange taste, a gras texture.
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Deeply colored, appropriate rim for age. Aromatically very intense with lots of olive tapenade and meaty syrah aromas... good core of dark fruit... integrated oak spice. On the palate moderate to high acidity, very full mid palate, high amount of ripe, integrated tannins. Very well balanced wine with good length, great intensity, good complexity. Classic expression of place and varietal. Easily excellent wine that with time and more tertiary development could hit the "outstanding" mark. Drink now or hold 3-5.
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Opened immediately after a flawed 1999 Reynard. What a difference. This is exquisite. Sweet and animal-like at the same time, with a side of exotic spices. A "poor" vintage that is shaping up the way I prefer them -- a bit lean but lacking nothing. Lovely.
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At L'Ame Soeur in Lyon - fetchingly priced, the stained label did nothing to deter the pleasure and respect for this Cornas. Young but open enough to reveal olive, some bacon and impressive depth and breadth of flavors. Fine structure. Rumor has it this was an off-vintage. A testament to a skilled artisan?
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Syrah dinner at Formento's (Chicago, IL): This was the more open of the two Allemand Cornas wines at first, with a deep black fruited aroma, as well as some very distinctive black pepper notes. There's an awesome smokiness here that I just love as well; this straddles the line between polished and rustic just where I like it. Obviously the tannins are a touch chewy at the moment, but I expect this to be amazing with time.
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Gorgeous nose. Seductive dried flowers, bright fruits. Still a baby but with a 45 min decant it was showing wonderfully with mineral notes and wild herbs, bacon. There are serious tannins there but definitely approachable now and this will only get better as they loosen their grip.
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Savory with lots of spice and herbs. Smokey. Black raspberry fruit. Still a baby with serious tannin structure that dominates the palate and finish. Young but great. 93+
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Ma première expérience avec T.Allemand. Un nez superbe !! Le vin préféré de la table si je me trompe pas. Un peu de fruits surettes en première bouche.Pas mal astringent aussi. Léger petillant mais non déviant. Après quelques minutes,la framboise ressort du lot .
Prêt maintenant mais 5-7 ans encore et sera encore meilleur ! 90 pts
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Fireworks on the nose, just incredible zing, spice, pepper; palate is a little calmer, but shows plenty of dark, bright fruit, with pomegranate, pepper, great acidity, some grilled meats, crushed green peppercorn, present but fine and smooth tannins, just sensational for a young Cornas. The beauty of off vintages strikes again - this is so much better than its 2009 version at the moment.
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Not quite the knockout showing I've had from other bottles; this seems a touch reticent and closed compared to how it's been before. The fruit needs some time in the decanter to emerge, and while it has that signature Allemand violet and peppery perfume, it's not quite as vivid as it's been before. The tannin seems a bit more pronounced now, and I'll leave my other bottles alone for a few years.
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The moment you stick your nose in the glass, you know you are in the Northern Rhone - herby exotic spice abounds. On the palate this is pretty primary but the texture is surprisingly smooth. Delicious wine that reminded me that it's far too long since I've had some Allemand. Being more of a Northern Rhone guy, I might've preferred this slightly to the Clos des Papes, but this is not quite as accomplished a wine, at least at this point. A joy to drink nonetheless. 92+
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An intense mélange of dark fruits, black licorice, sage, peppery spice, brown sugar and floral notes formed the bouquet. On the palate, it was tense yet rich with pepper-laden blackberry, charred meat, and minerals. Tannin and acid shut the palate down throughout the finish, but it was still worth tasting today.
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Mike on Tour - the Count's Manor: this is just painfully young. So much potential here - but it hurts to drink it. Sweet plum, floral, olives, meat. ripe mid with black fruit and even hints of chocolate. Tannic and brooding. finish is there but feels closed. a baby - probably amazing with a decade or two?
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Big, fruity, rich, stony aromatic nose. Bloody rare beef, blackberry, black-raspberry, red-cherry/black-cherry/wild-cherry, mulberry, grainy oak, strawberry, & licorice. Savory palate. Just slightly hollow in the mid-palate. Grippy/grainy tannins make it tighten up on the finish, but they are not overbearing. Nicer on the nose than the palate. Medium intensity. Good acidity. (92+) Give it a few years for the tannins to resolve a bit more, & this should drink nicely over the medium term, say 6-8+ years while the beautiful primary fruit (which is the star of this show) is to the fore.
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Bright and beautiful bouquet with a burst of fruit. The palate is clean, with lush fruit, black pepper and bacon. An effortless wine that does not hint of a cool or weak vintage. It paired wonderfully with the delicious lamb dish that was served.
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Fiercely tannic, but this Allemand offered so much: olives, game, pepper, florals, and herbs. Wild and brambly dark fruits with great poise on the palate.
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Vin Vino tasting; bottle had been open approximately three hours. Beautiful, expressive, captivating aromatics and it delivered on this promise with fresh, vibrant, intricate, complex flavors that expand into a wonderfully intense, but weightless, elegant, beguiling Northern Rhone with a somewhat firm but friendly tannic finish. Very drinkable now, but has the stuff to improve further. Something about Chaillot and the 2008 vintage combined to play into Allemand's hand. I much preferred this to the 2008 Reynard and to Clape's 2008 Cornas. 94+
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Somewhat surly and tannic at first, but with some air this really transforms into an incredibly flamboyant floral and meaty expression of Syrah. After being open for a couple of hours, the fragrance is absolutely captivating with vivid scents of violets, white pepper, smoke and gamey/meaty elements around a core of fresh red fruits. This is rather light on its feet, but by no means thin or austere - rather there's an elegance and delicate touch on the palate I rarely find in Syrah, and it's all about flavour with barely any sense of weight. Fantastic.
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Dinner with the Jim's (Chez Simo Bistro): Threw this in the decanter for about 40 minutes before drinking and it just wasn't enough. Nose was muted, but there was greatness buried down deep. Very silky dark fruits, a nice earthy element and the wild Cornas meaty notes are great. People talk poorly about the 2008 vintage in the Northern Rhone and it just totally hits the mark for me. Fruit is lithe, meat is pronounced and Matt is happy.
After reading some of the many glowing notes about the 2008 Chaillots, I thought I'd pop one early. While I'm not as wowed as some are, this is still a very fine effort in an apparently difficult vintage. Lots of black pepper and herbs on the nose, while the palate leans to a somewhat tart mix of red and black fruit, with a fairly good dose of tannins. This is very tight and very young, and needs to be left alone for awhile, which I plan to do with my remaining bottles.
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London off-line w Pjaines (http://www.tufnellparktavern.com): This is a brilliant wine from an off year. That Mr Allemand is proud of his wine and a perfectionist shines through in this FANTASTIC bottle. As I sunk my nose in to it I had to scream: Yahoo! Rich, garrigue, tar, behind-of-cow and black pepper. In the mouth this is built for the long haul with a dramatic tannic structure, M+ acids, great fruit and finishes loooong. Absolutely astonishing. After this bottle I read about Mr Allemand and he has made it to my very exclusive list of: Constant sourcing. This is really good s**t!
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Impressive. Great, exotic dark fruit, dry-aged meat, bacon, olives and grippy tannins put together this package. Palate is incredibly spicy, nuanced and complex...just wonderful depth. For me, the tannin is a bit distracting but with another 5 years that should be resolved. With all the talk of a down year, I have to call bullshit. This stuff is killer.
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There was some discussion that this wine was becoming lean and entering a closed phase, but that is not what I experienced. I found attractive scents of rose petals and dark fruit that are full and rich. The palate is intense and complex with florals, black pepper, and bacon. The finish is long. A stunning wine with beautiful balance, and I don't know if it will improve, but for my money, i would drink and enjoy it now.
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A year and a half ago, this was just sensational on release. It's still a wonderful wine, though now it's more about promise than outright pleasure - there's still a wonderful floral and peppery scent framing fresh red fruits, olives and meaty notes, but it doesn't have the aromatic intensity or depth that made it so captivating on release. Though the purity and balance here are still remarkable, the tannins and acidity stand out a lot more, and with an hour or so of air this starts to really close down. I'm looking forward to revisiting my other bottles in several years, but hands off for a while from now.
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A simply stunning example of cool climate syrah, exotic and wonderful.
Color is a vibrant light - medium purple that some light comes through
Nose is so beguiling its hard to tear it from the glass. Dried herbs, dried cherry, graphite, white pepper
On the palate, despite its youth, and clearly age-ability, its wonderful to drink now, though if you have the patience to sit on, will clearly be rewarded. Bright tart red fruits, vibrant, tight, cranberry, pomegranate, earth, herbs, olive brine. The mid palate has a nice texture, especially after some air, the finish is bright, lingering, with a slight bit of (pleasing) grip.
a wonderful birthday present!
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Poured rather light transparent red. Nose had some nice floral notes and stone. Thin palate with more floral and stone notes and pepper. Thin and on the feminine side of Syrah.
-- Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
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Gramenon and Allemand (Arlequin Wine Merchant, San Francisco): Medium color. Also fragrant, but in a very different way than the '09. Much more weedy and herbal. Medium to lighter weight. Gentle mix of earth and a hint of ripe red fruit. Good acidity, lowish tannins. Its elegance and complexity reminded me of drinking the '08 Chave. To drink on the early side. Very good result for the vintage.
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Wonder if this is starting to close down a little. Last bottle was still very good, though not showing the same thrilling fragrance and finesse it had on release. There's still a lovely aroma with lots of black pepper, high toned herbal elements and green and black olives, but the fruit and floral elements are more reticent than before and the structure's much more prominent here. Very enjoyable, but I'll hold off opening my other bottles for some time.
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Another sublime bottle. Incredibly fragrant with all sorts of bright peppery, floral and gamey elements around a core of fresh dark fruit; there's a sense of remarkable purity and clarity to the flavours, and a textural finesse closer to a great Burgundy.
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Obviously very young, but such a compelling wine now that I have no qualms about opening a bottle or two. There's an incredible fragrance that builds with time, combining all sorts of floral, spicy, meaty and pure red fruited elements into a scent that's hard to move away from. There's certainly some tannin on the back end in the mouth, but it's so seamless and elegant that it's barely noticeable, conveying flavour with a sense of lightness and remarkable elegance.
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Oh so young but my goodness this is brilliant. Iron, rust, blood, pepper and black fruits with a touch of orange peel on the nose - some horse-manure notes coming through too. On the palate this has wonderful balance between the tannic structure, dark fruit and tarte, acidic finish. Long finish but light and deep. Needs years and years. Excellent.
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Simply amazing aromatics here: it's obvious at once that this is special. Not in the least bit shy but never overpowering, it was hard to move from swirling and smelling to taking a taste. So elegant and refined--not Burgundy but it shares many of the same hallmarks: definite sense of place, finesse, dare I say beauty. More about subtle smoke and spice for me right now, as opposed to olive or fruit. So poised and appealing even at this early juncture, too. I'm not good at predicting where a wine is headed but wonder whether this could develop like the 1994, another so-called 'poor' vintage in which Allemand worked wonders with vines that were then 14 years younger. It's seven hours after the fact and I'm still savoring those aromas. Wow, indeed.
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Smoky ashtray, stems, black pepper nose. Lean, cool-toned palate shows very little fruit and mostly stems currently, but a fine, elegant texture emerges with a couple of hours of air. Gripping but not excessive acidity. Very nice if a bit raw and intellectual at this stage. On day two it's still lean but initially silkier, hinting at violets but never quite delivering and finally clamping down astringently with extended air. Overall this is delightful and very transparent, but it's a smaller vintage than other recent greats like '04 and '06. On the plus side, I bet this comes around with just a couple of years.
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Amazing stuff. A seamless combination of violets, freshly ground black pepper, meat, black olives and fresh red fruits; incredibly aromatic with a scent that's hard to move away from and a light, finessed palate presence like a top Burgundy. There's superb balance with a sense of real polish and a finish that just stays. Wow!
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8/6/2023 - MasterWis Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted in Magnum.
Absolutely stunning wine, so refined, velvety, intense. Everything is there. Never quite tasted a Syrah like this.
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6/18/2023 - dglebo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Magnum. Decanted for 45 minutes. This 15 year old Syrah is cherry red. The nose is tobacco leather and spice, strawberry, maybe rhubarb. The palate reflects the nose. Medium body, tannins haven’t fully matured, though this wine is completely approachable. Full mouth swallow, has great balance and length.
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5/4/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Allemand Chaillot survey (Chicago, IL): 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.
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4/3/2023 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Opened to celebrate the UConn championship game. Spectacularly fragrant and perfumed with bright red fruit, green olives, high-toned herbal and peppery notes, and an intensely gamey character. The aromatics alone are worth the price of admission. It's very good on the palate, though not anywhere near as thrilling or complex as the nose might suggest. A touch lean with some tannins clamping down on the finish as the fruit fades somewhat abruptly - the lighter vintage is definitely apparent on the palate (particularly the back end), but my goodness the aromatics were something special.
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1/28/2023 - Cake & Fine Wine wrote: 96 Points
I take it back. I gave this 91 back in 2020…and I can only assume it was an off bottle. This is magical, ghostly in its elegance. Red fruit (red current, cranberry), wild flowers, Jasmin- it’s an expression of Syrah that’s completely new to me. This feels far removed from the scorched earth of Cornas, positively cool climate. Such beauty and elegance but with enough power to easily compliment the onlget steak and the leaks (which I burnt). I get the hype and I stand corrected!!
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12/10/2022 - Eric wrote:
ESTG Year-End Tasting (Newcastle, WA): Lifted, graphite, stalky and spicy.
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11/10/2022 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
"The mind is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Chicago, IL): You know it's a pretty good dinner when there's a third of a bottle of Allemand left at the end of it (and not because the bottle was messed up either). Red-fruited, light, and very lifted with typical Allemand perfumed aromatics. Very clean on both the nose and palate, though this veers a little more towards the acidity to the detriment of all the other good things in this wine. Modestly chewy tannins on the finish still. In a very good spot now, with limited upside. No rush, though.
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4/22/2022 - LW31 Likes this wine:
What a beauty. That classic Allemand nose of crushed violets. Great lift and balance here. In a good spot but should go for some years. Thank you S!
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4/21/2022 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
Beautiful bottle brought to dinner by S. Lewis. Violet dust, pastilles, game and blackberry on the nose. Fine grained, resolving tannins and mouthwatering acidity. Expansive and lengthy in the mouth with fabulous after-aromas. Wish I were able to drink these more often. Thanks, Sabra!
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10/3/2021 - kuumies wrote:
Boldly red-fruited on the nose with herbal, stony and smoky notes. Totally unadulterated and beautifully savory with slight VA that adds to the whole. On the palate medium-bodied with ripe, very civilized fine-grained tannins that grip confidently but gently. Young without a doubt but refined, not angular at all, and as such enjoyable.
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10/2/2021 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points
Allemand's young-vine cuvée mainly from lieu-dit Chaillot, but including young-vine fruit from Le Bois, Les Saveaux, Pigonnier, Reynard and Thézier lieux-dits. The fruit is nearly or completely in whole clusters and fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and open-top fermentors. Punch-downs by foot. Aged unracked for 18-24 months in old oak barrels and foudres with minimal SO2 additions. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO2 additions or without any sulfites. 13,5% alcohol.
Dark yet beautifully luminous and moderately translucent cherry red color. Beautifully fragrant bouquet with layered aromas of ripe black raspberries and fresh red plums, some heady exotic spices, light floral notes of violets, a little bit of lifted sauvage character that lends a fragrant, subtly spicy note of phenolic character, a hint of ripe red cherry a a faint sweet volatile touch of nail polish, lifting the sweeter red-fruited notes a little bit. The wine is dry, clean and quite crunchy on the palate with beautifully silky textures, a medium body and bright flavors of brambly black raspberries and juicy blackcurrants, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of meaty umami, light ferrous notes of blood, a hint of fragrant herbs and a faint sauvage touch of lifted volatile character. The wine certainly has a subtly wild side to it, but the wine is nevertheless all about finesse; there are no rough edges, yet the wine never comes across as polished or glossy. The high acidity and quite ample yet ripe and gentle tannins lend wonderful firmness and sense of structure to the wine. The finish is long, dry and somewhat grippy with fine-tuned and enjoyably savory flavors of brambly black raspberries and fresh red plums, some peppery spice, a little bit of meaty umami, light ferrous notes of blood, a perfumed hint of violets and a touch of Mediterranean herbs.
From a cooler and rainier vintage, it does show - although Allemand's personal, minimal-interventionist style does so, too. After a lineup of more muscular and darker-toned Northern Rhône Syrah wines, this Allemand bottling came across as strikingly delicate, fine-tuned and - simply put - more Burgundian than the other wines. Especially compared to the Cornas wines of Clape, this wine showed more red-toned fruit compared to the more darker-toned expression of Clape, and even though the Clape wines weren't lacking in acidity, the Allemand had definitely more emphasis on freshness, focus and acidity. This is not a brooding and tightly-knit Cornas all about olives and charred gamey tones, but instead a relatively delicate and supple - yet still very serious - expression of Cornas that feels like a missing link between Northern Rhône and Côte de Nuits. Drinking wonderfully right now and neither the fruit nor the structure call for any additional cellaring, but seeing how youthful the wine still is, it doesn't take much imagination to see how much there is upside to aging this wine. Considering how 2008 wasn't a memorable vintage in Northern Rhône, this wine was just absolutely gorgeous.
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7/15/2021 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Clear medium light red. Very fresh floral nose, tea, red cherry, thyme, pencil lead and a hint of smoked meat. Dry red fruit and tea flavours and a long beautiful finish.
I was struck by how fresh and floral this wine was. Beautiful.
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4/3/2021 - mye wrote:
Hitting its drinking window. Lovely nose with notes of blueberry plum mixed with meat, game, olive, with a hint of iron. Tannins are resolving and acidity beautifully balanced. Not quite 15 yes but close enough?
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3/31/2021 - bill00 wrote: 94 Points
Really expressive aromatics of herbs, olive and some green pepper. Damp earth on the finish. Drinking really well. Terrific.
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2/13/2021 - tmagsmaken wrote: 92 Points
Powerful bouquet of sour cherry, liquorice, leather, pine and a hint of white pepper in the finish. On the palate, balanced, with mouthwatering acidity and fully integrated tannins. Top class syrah but you need to pay up for it.
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2/6/2021 - concord Likes this wine:
More youthful than the previous bottle, with good dark fruits and balancing acidity.
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1/30/2021 - concord Likes this wine:
Still good, but maybe the fruit has started to fade, might take the drink by date down. Should try another bottle soon to check
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11/28/2020 - Cake & Fine Wine wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed it but not the best, or perhaps not as good as I was expecting from the mighty Allmand. Good nose on opening but after 3 hr decant it tasted a bit thin. Quite tannic too. Not a good year but I couldn’t work out if I’d opened this too late or too early. I have one more bottle, I’ll give in 3 years...guess time will tell.
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7/2/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose was beautiful with violets, flowers, herbs, olive and grilled meat. Palate was pure and clean. Drinking very well.
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3/18/2020 - bambam Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very enjoyable wine and easy drinking. Nice acidity and the fruit still shows well. It is a simple wine but sometimes simply just works. Like tonight.
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1/25/2020 - Sotto325 wrote: 91 Points
I am a devoted Allemande fan and have yet to try a bottle of his that was not very good or more. The deep terroir, savory notes, tastes of moist earth and the wonderful black pepper Syrah lead are handled most beautifully. The Chaillot 2008 is the least impressive bottle I have had; the black pepper was perfectly delineated, with round edges and wonderful Asian aromas. But the complexity was a bit less than usual and the medium body did not deliver the full complexity or deep gamey notes I have come to know. And I kept thinking as I drank this bottle that I wanted the Reynard. So this is delicious now with a tiny decant and should stand up for yearS. I doubt it Will develop more complexity with time.
Fenraury 16: second half of Coravin'd bottle: delightful, black pepper, animale, smooth. Still lacks more grainy corps and complexity.
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1/19/2020 - Jammy Wine wrote: 88 Points
My first encounter with Thierry Allemand Cornas, a deeply flavoured and nuanced Cornas without any heavy oak or extraction. Tasted blind - Deeply laced dark berries with a hint of peppery note. Nuanced and subtle with clean fruits and mild earthy truffles. Northern Rhone? St Joseph? (88/100)
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8/17/2019 - PC73 wrote: 92 Points
Allemand chaillot 2008
Melted granite rocks on the nose. Hit of heat. Also some black olive tapenade. Some raspberry and black cherry. Hint of bay leaf. On the palate, lots of black fruits. Black pastilles. Well integrated tannins. A very slight woody element on the finish. Overall pretty and approachable but I see good life ahead.
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4/15/2019 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Renegade Wine Dinner - Thierry Allemand (Marc Forgione - Tribeca, NYC): I know '08 was a tough vintage, but I really liked this. My second favorite of the flight (10,09,08). The pepper really comes through with the fruit here and again that silky mouthfeel. Perhaps a little less showy than the 09 for me but still a stellar performance. I think the CT window of 2024 is far to early.
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2/10/2019 - unrelenting wrote: 95 Points
accessible upon opening but a few years left of peak drinking, at least. Medium-plus body.
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2/1/2019 - prof b wrote: 94 Points
Another night with Salil: Explosive white pepper and floral elements that I'm told define Allemand wines. Savory and polished, this is a tremendous wine.
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2/1/2019 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Four years since I last had this, and it's starting to re-emerge from what seemed to be a surly/somewhat closed phase then. Those explosive lavender, violet, peppery, and gamey/cured meat aromatics are coming through in spades, and the palate feels remarkably light and polished, showing fresh red berried fruit and briny olive notes with a lovely finishing smokiness. There's still a touch of grainy tannin here, but it's so good to drink right now and I'm not sure I want to leave my other bottles in the cellar to age further.
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8/10/2018 - andreel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really quite exceptional. Tannins have mellowed out and it has the most gorgeous smell of violets and a certain gaminess. Very perfumed and elegant and the finish goes on forever. Pricy but considering getting another bottle.
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7/8/2018 - markjanes wrote: 91 Points
vs. 08 chave herm... even deeper color than have showing more extraction and a more youthful rim. compared to the 08 chave this is very cornas on the nose with more of that mediterranean olive note vs the pepper… dark fruited and more brambly than chave. on the palate also more cornas’y with higher acids, more rustic tannins… more savage and wild than refined. another great wine with balance, length, and intensity… kind of in a monolithic adolescent phase so i’d leave this alone for a few years. clearly will evolve for a decade plus.
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3/9/2018 - 5laton wrote:
Initially closed and ashy. Decanted 3-4 hours and this opened up and resolved into two distinct partitions: a light, aromatic wine with lots of green peppercorn and juniper (and still some of those ash notes), sitting atop a denser base wine with a gentle yet striking richness. This latter bit is something new I have not seen previously in younger bottles. Fascinating and delicious. I'll wait another 2-3 years before revisiting as I'd really like to see that richness continue to emerge.
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10/15/2017 - sawira wrote: 95 Points
Decanted two hours. Silky, perfectly balanced, sweet fruit, dry supremely long finish, meat juice, delightfully polished wine. Has another decade, but ready now. WOTN for me.
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8/11/2017 - Gargantua Likes this wine:
Decanted for 2 hours in a wide mouth before drinking; had some noticeable sediment. Oh wow. A peppery almost agave note that gets so earthy it's almost mezcal dominates the nose with some green background and a beautifully light bodied attack. What a ravishing wine. Now I wish I had more...!
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7/19/2017 - bps2266 wrote: 96 Points
spectacularly good. hits all cylinders on the nose with black pepper, smoke, meat, olive, sweet plum, and violets. palate bright, lighter bodied, and fresh. smoky with red currant, raspberry, and more pepper. plenty of depth here. dry dusting of super fine tannin. cruises across the palate. long finish. can hold this a few but absolutely no reason to wait.
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4/28/2017 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Masters of Syrah (Sixteen Restaurant, Chicago): A great wine in it's own right, but in the flight this came across as a lighter more elegant version of the 2006. Full, ethereal aromas of polished black fruit, pepper, olives and smoked meat. The palate has medium body. Very bright with good fresh acids. Again, very nice in a lighter style.
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4/28/2017 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Masters of Syrah (Chicago, IL): This was much more open and giving than the Reynard (which was the same verdict I had when we did the 2008 horizontal fourteen months ago). Nothing has changed. The signature polish is there, with the sweet fruit and meat, but this time, the fruit has veered a little more towards the red side. This is a much lighter wine than the 2006 as well, showing some sweet red berries. While I think in the end, the stuffing in the Reynard will cause it to eclipse this wine, this is the 2008 Allemand to drink now.
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3/13/2017 - Nick4378 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Short decant. Black berries, tapenade, leather, spice. A delicate/elegant Cornas. The acid is perfect making this great with some good heavy food like the Cassoulet at Cafe Campagne, Seattle.
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3/4/2017 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
A young wine that was brilliant after being decanted for a couple of hours. Deep, black fruit that seemed to pop in your mouth. Savory and peppery also, pairing well with lamb shoulder cooked with rosemary. With time, a perfumed boudoir smell, a mineral blood-orange taste, a gras texture.
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1/7/2017 - markjanes wrote: 92 Points
Deeply colored, appropriate rim for age. Aromatically very intense with lots of olive tapenade and meaty syrah aromas... good core of dark fruit... integrated oak spice. On the palate moderate to high acidity, very full mid palate, high amount of ripe, integrated tannins. Very well balanced wine with good length, great intensity, good complexity. Classic expression of place and varietal. Easily excellent wine that with time and more tertiary development could hit the "outstanding" mark. Drink now or hold 3-5.
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9/29/2016 - JOsgood wrote:
Drinking very well. Love the plush texture on the palate and the elegance of the fruit. Not one for the long haul.
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8/31/2016 - slanum wrote:
Opened immediately after a flawed 1999 Reynard. What a difference. This is exquisite. Sweet and animal-like at the same time, with a side of exotic spices. A "poor" vintage that is shaping up the way I prefer them -- a bit lean but lacking nothing. Lovely.
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8/5/2016 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
At L'Ame Soeur in Lyon - fetchingly priced, the stained label did nothing to deter the pleasure and respect for this Cornas. Young but open enough to reveal olive, some bacon and impressive depth and breadth of flavors. Fine structure. Rumor has it this was an off-vintage. A testament to a skilled artisan?
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8/4/2016 - admid wrote: 93 Points
NFN
Great wine, suprisingly subtile
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3/28/2016 - Axone wrote: 92 Points
Joli vin avec un beau fruit.
Peut attendre quelques années pour s'épanouir un peu plus.
Belle réussite pour le millésime.
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3/12/2016 - AtoZ wrote:
High toned. High acid. Worked best with lamb in a lemon prep. Good stuff. Drink or hold.
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2/18/2016 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Syrah dinner at Formento's (Chicago, IL): This was the more open of the two Allemand Cornas wines at first, with a deep black fruited aroma, as well as some very distinctive black pepper notes. There's an awesome smokiness here that I just love as well; this straddles the line between polished and rustic just where I like it. Obviously the tannins are a touch chewy at the moment, but I expect this to be amazing with time.
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11/29/2015 - mygrogro wrote: 93 Points
pass the salt please
great pepper and toast
wonderful herb finish
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10/31/2015 - LW31 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous nose. Seductive dried flowers, bright fruits. Still a baby but with a 45 min decant it was showing wonderfully with mineral notes and wild herbs, bacon. There are serious tannins there but definitely approachable now and this will only get better as they loosen their grip.
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7/29/2015 - mygrogro wrote: 92 Points
Peppery finish
tannic start
stand alone fresh berry nose
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6/12/2015 - bill00 wrote: 93 Points
Savory with lots of spice and herbs. Smokey. Black raspberry fruit. Still a baby with serious tannin structure that dominates the palate and finish. Young but great. 93+
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4/6/2015 - Villon wrote: 93 Points
Beau fruit primaire, pure, style nature, sans élevage. Belle densité, bonne structure, beaucoup de plaisir.
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3/5/2015 - phil the agony wrote: 90 Points
Ma première expérience avec T.Allemand.
Un nez superbe !!
Le vin préféré de la table si je me trompe pas.
Un peu de fruits surettes en première bouche.Pas mal astringent aussi.
Léger petillant mais non déviant.
Après quelques minutes,la framboise ressort du lot .
Prêt maintenant mais 5-7 ans encore et sera encore meilleur !
90 pts
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2/22/2015 - alanr wrote: 93 Points
Fireworks on the nose, just incredible zing, spice, pepper; palate is a little calmer, but shows plenty of dark, bright fruit, with pomegranate, pepper, great acidity, some grilled meats, crushed green peppercorn, present but fine and smooth tannins, just sensational for a young Cornas. The beauty of off vintages strikes again - this is so much better than its 2009 version at the moment.
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1/1/2015 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Not quite the knockout showing I've had from other bottles; this seems a touch reticent and closed compared to how it's been before. The fruit needs some time in the decanter to emerge, and while it has that signature Allemand violet and peppery perfume, it's not quite as vivid as it's been before. The tannin seems a bit more pronounced now, and I'll leave my other bottles alone for a few years.
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11/27/2014 - JOsgood wrote:
Great stuff. I love how the 2008 Allemand are drinking right now. Plush and elegant. Tons of fruit and finesse.
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11/27/2014 - the godfather wrote:
Killer juice. The was a bit rounder with more mouthfeel than 2011 tonight
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11/9/2014 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
The moment you stick your nose in the glass, you know you are in the Northern Rhone - herby exotic spice abounds. On the palate this is pretty primary but the texture is surprisingly smooth. Delicious wine that reminded me that it's far too long since I've had some Allemand. Being more of a Northern Rhone guy, I might've preferred this slightly to the Clos des Papes, but this is not quite as accomplished a wine, at least at this point. A joy to drink nonetheless. 92+
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11/9/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
An intense mélange of dark fruits, black licorice, sage, peppery spice, brown sugar and floral notes formed the bouquet. On the palate, it was tense yet rich with pepper-laden blackberry, charred meat, and minerals. Tannin and acid shut the palate down throughout the finish, but it was still worth tasting today.
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11/9/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
Mike on Tour - the Count's Manor: this is just painfully young. So much potential here - but it hurts to drink it. Sweet plum, floral, olives, meat. ripe mid with black fruit and even hints of chocolate. Tannic and brooding. finish is there but feels closed. a baby - probably amazing with a decade or two?
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11/8/2014 - Rob Hansult Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big, fruity, rich, stony aromatic nose.
Bloody rare beef, blackberry, black-raspberry, red-cherry/black-cherry/wild-cherry, mulberry, grainy oak, strawberry, & licorice.
Savory palate. Just slightly hollow in the mid-palate.
Grippy/grainy tannins make it tighten up on the finish, but they are not overbearing. Nicer on the nose than the palate.
Medium intensity. Good acidity.
(92+)
Give it a few years for the tannins to resolve a bit more, & this should drink nicely over the medium term, say 6-8+ years while the beautiful primary fruit (which is the star of this show) is to the fore.
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11/8/2014 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Bright and beautiful bouquet with a burst of fruit. The palate is clean, with lush fruit, black pepper and bacon. An effortless wine that does not hint of a cool or weak vintage. It paired wonderfully with the delicious lamb dish that was served.
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6/15/2014 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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4/30/2014 - bpj87 wrote:
Fiercely tannic, but this Allemand offered so much: olives, game, pepper, florals, and herbs. Wild and brambly dark fruits with great poise on the palate.
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3/28/2014 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Vin Vino tasting; bottle had been open approximately three hours. Beautiful, expressive, captivating aromatics and it delivered on this promise with fresh, vibrant, intricate, complex flavors that expand into a wonderfully intense, but weightless, elegant, beguiling Northern Rhone with a somewhat firm but friendly tannic finish. Very drinkable now, but has the stuff to improve further. Something about Chaillot and the 2008 vintage combined to play into Allemand's hand. I much preferred this to the 2008 Reynard and to Clape's 2008 Cornas. 94+
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2/1/2014 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Somewhat surly and tannic at first, but with some air this really transforms into an incredibly flamboyant floral and meaty expression of Syrah. After being open for a couple of hours, the fragrance is absolutely captivating with vivid scents of violets, white pepper, smoke and gamey/meaty elements around a core of fresh red fruits. This is rather light on its feet, but by no means thin or austere - rather there's an elegance and delicate touch on the palate I rarely find in Syrah, and it's all about flavour with barely any sense of weight. Fantastic.
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9/8/2013 - tooch wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with the Jim's (Chez Simo Bistro): Threw this in the decanter for about 40 minutes before drinking and it just wasn't enough. Nose was muted, but there was greatness buried down deep. Very silky dark fruits, a nice earthy element and the wild Cornas meaty notes are great. People talk poorly about the 2008 vintage in the Northern Rhone and it just totally hits the mark for me. Fruit is lithe, meat is pronounced and Matt is happy.
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5/11/2013 - xwine wrote:
After reading some of the many glowing notes about the 2008 Chaillots, I thought I'd pop one early. While I'm not as wowed as some are, this is still a very fine effort in an apparently difficult vintage. Lots of black pepper and herbs on the nose, while the palate leans to a somewhat tart mix of red and black fruit, with a fairly good dose of tannins. This is very tight and very young, and needs to be left alone for awhile, which I plan to do with my remaining bottles.
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3/4/2013 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
London off-line w Pjaines (http://www.tufnellparktavern.com): This is a brilliant wine from an off year. That Mr Allemand is proud of his wine and a perfectionist shines through in this FANTASTIC bottle. As I sunk my nose in to it I had to scream: Yahoo! Rich, garrigue, tar, behind-of-cow and black pepper. In the mouth this is built for the long haul with a dramatic tannic structure, M+ acids, great fruit and finishes loooong. Absolutely astonishing. After this bottle I read about Mr Allemand and he has made it to my very exclusive list of: Constant sourcing.
This is really good s**t!
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12/13/2012 - tooch wrote: 94 Points
Impressive. Great, exotic dark fruit, dry-aged meat, bacon, olives and grippy tannins put together this package. Palate is incredibly spicy, nuanced and complex...just wonderful depth. For me, the tannin is a bit distracting but with another 5 years that should be resolved. With all the talk of a down year, I have to call bullshit. This stuff is killer.
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12/9/2012 - Diane (LI) wrote:
There was some discussion that this wine was becoming lean and entering a closed phase, but that is not what I experienced. I found attractive scents of rose petals and dark fruit that are full and rich. The palate is intense and complex with florals, black pepper, and bacon. The finish is long. A stunning wine with beautiful balance, and I don't know if it will improve, but for my money, i would drink and enjoy it now.
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12/8/2012 - wineduggery wrote: 91 Points
Way too early to drink. Dark fruits and pepper predominate.
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12/8/2012 - salil wrote: 92 Points
A year and a half ago, this was just sensational on release. It's still a wonderful wine, though now it's more about promise than outright pleasure - there's still a wonderful floral and peppery scent framing fresh red fruits, olives and meaty notes, but it doesn't have the aromatic intensity or depth that made it so captivating on release. Though the purity and balance here are still remarkable, the tannins and acidity stand out a lot more, and with an hour or so of air this starts to really close down. I'm looking forward to revisiting my other bottles in several years, but hands off for a while from now.
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11/29/2012 - mygrogro wrote: 91 Points
sneaky cherry bouquet
big time pepper and curry surprise!
biting finish with many more years ahead
special!
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9/22/2012 - SonomaWilliam wrote: 94 Points
A simply stunning example of cool climate syrah, exotic and wonderful.
Color is a vibrant light - medium purple that some light comes through
Nose is so beguiling its hard to tear it from the glass. Dried herbs, dried cherry, graphite, white pepper
On the palate, despite its youth, and clearly age-ability, its wonderful to drink now, though if you have the patience to sit on,
will clearly be rewarded.
Bright tart red fruits, vibrant, tight, cranberry, pomegranate, earth, herbs, olive brine. The mid palate has a nice texture, especially after some air,
the finish is bright, lingering, with a slight bit of (pleasing) grip.
a wonderful birthday present!
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8/2/2012 - Gestalted wrote: 88 Points
Poured rather light transparent red. Nose had some nice floral notes and stone. Thin palate with more floral and stone notes and pepper. Thin and on the feminine side of Syrah.
--
Consumed at at cellar temp: 60°-65° F. Friends don't let friends drink red wine at room temp!
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7/26/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Gramenon and Allemand (Arlequin Wine Merchant, San Francisco): Medium color. Also fragrant, but in a very different way than the '09. Much more weedy and herbal. Medium to lighter weight. Gentle mix of earth and a hint of ripe red fruit. Good acidity, lowish tannins. Its elegance and complexity reminded me of drinking the '08 Chave. To drink on the early side. Very good result for the vintage.
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5/31/2012 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Wonder if this is starting to close down a little. Last bottle was still very good, though not showing the same thrilling fragrance and finesse it had on release. There's still a lovely aroma with lots of black pepper, high toned herbal elements and green and black olives, but the fruit and floral elements are more reticent than before and the structure's much more prominent here. Very enjoyable, but I'll hold off opening my other bottles for some time.
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4/27/2012 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Another sublime bottle. Incredibly fragrant with all sorts of bright peppery, floral and gamey elements around a core of fresh dark fruit; there's a sense of remarkable purity and clarity to the flavours, and a textural finesse closer to a great Burgundy.
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2/21/2012 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Obviously very young, but such a compelling wine now that I have no qualms about opening a bottle or two. There's an incredible fragrance that builds with time, combining all sorts of floral, spicy, meaty and pure red fruited elements into a scent that's hard to move away from. There's certainly some tannin on the back end in the mouth, but it's so seamless and elegant that it's barely noticeable, conveying flavour with a sense of lightness and remarkable elegance.
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1/11/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Oh so young but my goodness this is brilliant. Iron, rust, blood, pepper and black fruits with a touch of orange peel on the nose - some horse-manure notes coming through too. On the palate this has wonderful balance between the tannic structure, dark fruit and tarte, acidic finish. Long finish but light and deep. Needs years and years. Excellent.
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12/15/2011 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Young. Really big wine with fresh, bright red fruit. It oozes with minerality and acidity.
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12/10/2011 - slanum wrote:
Simply amazing aromatics here: it's obvious at once that this is special. Not in the least bit shy but never overpowering, it was hard to move from swirling and smelling to taking a taste. So elegant and refined--not Burgundy but it shares many of the same hallmarks: definite sense of place, finesse, dare I say beauty. More about subtle smoke and spice for me right now, as opposed to olive or fruit. So poised and appealing even at this early juncture, too. I'm not good at predicting where a wine is headed but wonder whether this could develop like the 1994, another so-called 'poor' vintage in which Allemand worked wonders with vines that were then 14 years younger. It's seven hours after the fact and I'm still savoring those aromas. Wow, indeed.
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12/9/2011 - kosinski wrote:
Smoky mushroom and garrigue aromas. Flavors of spice cake and blackberry with moderate tannins.
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11/29/2011 - 5laton wrote:
Smoky ashtray, stems, black pepper nose. Lean, cool-toned palate shows very little fruit and mostly stems currently, but a fine, elegant texture emerges with a couple of hours of air. Gripping but not excessive acidity. Very nice if a bit raw and intellectual at this stage. On day two it's still lean but initially silkier, hinting at violets but never quite delivering and finally clamping down astringently with extended air.
Overall this is delightful and very transparent, but it's a smaller vintage than other recent greats like '04 and '06. On the plus side, I bet this comes around with just a couple of years.
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7/10/2011 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Amazing stuff. A seamless combination of violets, freshly ground black pepper, meat, black olives and fresh red fruits; incredibly aromatic with a scent that's hard to move away from and a light, finessed palate presence like a top Burgundy. There's superb balance with a sense of real polish and a finish that just stays. Wow!
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