1998 Cornas Chaillot

Allemand is one of a few Cornas growers who prefers '98 to '99. "The '98s are fuller wines, and they've always been open," he explained, "while the '99s are thus far less expressive." Allemand compared his '98s to his outstanding '91s. Very low yields and high grape sugars resulted in extremely rich wines in '98, though it must be noted that Allemand did not need to chaptalize in 1999 or 2000 either. Allemand uses one- and two-year-old barriques but never brand-new barrels. "Wood doesn't bring anything to Cornas except faults," he explains matter-of-factly. Allemand is in the process of having another chai built; among the advantages this new facility will offer is the space to do his malolactic fermentations in barriques