Thierry Allemand, a former electromechanical engineer, has become a flagship name among the steep hillside vineyards of Cornas. These days his wines fly off the shelves at very high prices, making up for 20 years of hard work without recognition. 22 workers are employed on his 5-hectare vineyard. The vines are treated with copper and sulphur and the soil is turned with a hand-guided plough and winch or with a mattock. But although he has stopped using herbicides, Thierry Allemand has not sought organic certification, seeing himself as an Artisan rather than a commercial producer. In the winery, no sulphur or additives are used during vinification and the maceration process is slow and gentle, as is the punch-down. The wines are matured for 24 months in used oak barrels followed by a further three months in foudres. This is a top-quality domain managed by a low-key and very talented wine grower.

This Cornas is an unmissable wine from this appellation. Pure and expressive, it will benefit from a few years' keeping. On tasting, it offers surprising notes of salty smoke, fruit and black tea. The palate is spicy. The texture is dense: the tannins are prominent but extremely refined. The finish is long. A great wine produced using very natural methods.