New Franck Balthazar Cornas | Impressive Reviews | “One of the finest ever produced at this address”

Franck Balthazar is a producer we have admired and offered for over a decade.  He is remarkably humble man, given the quality of his wines coming from superb sites in Cornas, home to the likes of Thierry Allemand and Auguste Clape.  Franck even farms a parcel that is also shared with Allemand, the Cornas "Chaillot" his grandfather acquired from Noel Verset, planted in 1914.  His wines are uncompromising and among the best in the appellation.

Excited to offer the new well-reviewed Cornas 2023s - and while not rated, don't overlook the delicious 2024 Crozes-Hermitage...

2024 Balthazar Crozes-Hermitage
• 100% Syrah, vines around 40 years old from plots in Mercurol and La Roche-de-Glun.  Up to 100% whole clusters are employed, indigenous yeast with macerations lasting  around 3 weeks with regular pumpovers. Aged for 15+ months in old 228L and 600L barrels. Only 500cs made.

2023 Balthazar Cornas ‘Cuvee Casimir’
• 94WA, 94JD, 94VN, 94JS

"The classic cuvée from this singular vigneron, the 2023 Cornas Cuvée Casimir Balthazar offers beautiful, ripe, sun-kissed notes of red and black fruits, pepper, roasted meats, and graphite on the nose. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with plenty of ripe tannins and a great finish. It freshens up with air and shows more violet and black pepper, has fine tannins, and is just a classy Cornas that I'd be thrilled to drink any time over the coming two decades." -Jeb Dunnuck

"Vinified with 100% whole clusters, the 2023 Cornas Cuvée Casimir Balthazar reveals aromas of cassis, dark berries and a touch of pepper, becoming more floral with aeration. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s round, enveloping and fleshy, supported by a fine structural frame. More tensile than the 2022, it concludes with a fresh, ethereal finish. This is a very successful Cornas." -Yohan Castaing

"The 2023 Cornas Cuvée Casimir Balthazar opens with expressive notes of orange blossom, fresh violets, black cherry, red plum, stemmy nuances and fine traces of cured meat. On the medium-bodied palate, it shows lifted freshness and impressive clarity. This is a carefully built, densely packed Cornas that I admittedly underestimated when tasting it from barrel at the winery last year. Like the Chaillot Cuvée Hommage from the same vintage, it carries tremendous intensity yet never feels heavy. Simply gorgeous." -Nicolas Greinacher

2023 Balthazar Cornas ‘Chaillot’
• 96WA, 96JD, 95VN, 96JS

"One of the finest ever produced at this address, the 2023 Cornas Chaillot reveals a complex bouquet of rose, dark fruits and a hint of timut pepper. Medium- to full-bodied, it's dense, powerful and deep, with a fleshy core of fruit supported by firm, architectural yet finely grained tannins. Built for the cellar, this is a profound and age-worthy Cornas." -Yohan Castaing

"Much more structured and powerful, the 2023 Cornas Chaillot exhibits a quintessential Cornas style with red and black fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and violet notes on the nose. It has full-bodied richness, lots of tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It shows the sunny, sun-kissed style of the vintage and deserves 4-5 years of bottle age. It will see its 20th birthday in fine form." -Jeb Dunnuck

"The 2023 Cornas Chaillot knocks it out of the park, rising from the glass with pronounced orange rind, crushed violets, stemmy nuances, graphite dust and fleshy tones. Moving toward full weight and tightly knit around refined tannins, the 2023 is a delicious Cornas that will need at least three more years before it begins to show its full potential. Finishes long, with outstanding savoriness and refinement." -Nicolas Greinacher

Bonus, In stock:

2022 Balthazar Cornas Cuvee Casimir, 4 bottles available
• 94JS, 93WA, VN92

2021 Balthazar Cornas Cuvee Sans Soufre Ajoute, 2 bottles available
• 94-96VN, 95JS

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Orders which include wines marked PRE-ARRIVAL that are combined with in stock items will be available for shipping/collection once all items have arrived at our warehouse. Minimum purchase per order is 3 bottles.

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