Thierry Allemand
History
While many wineries enjoy the benefit of being passed down from generation to generation, resting on the successes of past pursuits, Thierry Allemand has definitely carved his own path in the Northern Rhone region where the winery is located. His interest in non-interventionist winemaking early in his career has influenced the desire to do as little as possible to interfere with nature, thus allowing the grapes to evolve with as little handling as possible through the natural processes of wine cycles. Each parcel is distinct and only total around five hectares of land. The location, itself, has what some consider to be a micro-climate, offering high doses of sun matched with granite and limestone soils, which give way to the pure and high quality wines. Thierry Allemand, himself, has pioneered his own path from start to finish, with every step of the winemaking and marketing process. He even started bottling and producing under his own label very early on. A DIY spirit combined with the terroir of the Northern Rhone region has led Thierry Allemand to become a well recognized and respected wine producer.
Location
22 Impasse des Granges
07130 Cornas
France
Current Ownership
Privately owned (by Thierry Allemand)
Interesting Facts
Thierry Allemand is a unique character in the winemaking world and is recognized as being distinct in his personality and operations. Taking an artisan angle to winemaking, he even utilizes walking ploughs to turn the soil. The blades of these ploughs are perfectly designed to handle the slopes and terrain unique to the vineyard, which are steep and narrow. The blades themselves were handcrafted by a blacksmith in Spain and have just the right angle to handle the soil in the perfect manner. Thierry Allemand is somewhat of a legend, earning the respect of others by cultivating and setting up the vineyard in the early days (from clearing brush to rebuilding retaining walls), all by hand. This level of detail is found at every turn and truly speaks to the hands on approach and specific level of care that Thierry Allemand puts into the winemaking process. One of the signatures of the wines is the fact that they contain little-to-no sulphur. Perhaps it's the passion or perhaps it's the process, but Thierry Allemand has earned a dedicated following who appreciate the purity and quality of his wines.
5 Stars