Franck Balthazar Côtes du Rhône 2023

Country: France

Region: Rhône

Type: Red Wine

Grape: Syrah/Grenache

The Balthazar domaine dates back to 1931, when it was founded by Franck’s grandfather Casimir. Franck's father René took over in 1950 and followed his contemporaries Auguste Clape and Noël Verset into domaine bottling on a small scale in the 1970's. All the while he continued to sell most of his wine in cask to the local cafés, as Casimir and so many others of his generation had done. All these decades later, Balthazar is making some of the most expressive, and rigorously traditional, wines in Cornas.

Franck is a purist and old-school winemaker, plowing his organic vineyards with a horse. His approach in the cellar mirrors that of his grandfather, including whole cluster, native yeast fermentation in concrete or stainless vats; manual cap punching; and aging in old, neutral demi-muid barrels before bottling without fining or filtration. Very little sulfur is used in his wines. His wines are luxurious, graceful, and expressive, possessing a distinct sense of place.

This Côtes du Rhone is a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache sourced from three organically farmed hectares that Franck has acquired, located next to Vinsobres in la Drôme. A classic expression, it is full bodied and plush with smooth, restrained tannins, hints of savory leather, and floral violets.