2019 | Franck Balthazar | Cornas Chaillot

Deep-pitched blackberry cherry cassis and pungent floral qualities on the intensely perfumed mineral-accented nose. Sappy and densely packed yet lively as well offering bitter cherry dark berry preserve and candied violet flavors and a hint of salty olive. Shows superb detail and mineral drive on the youthfully tannic finish which hangs on with strong dark-fruit-dominated tenacity.

Producer Information

Franck Balthazar has been blessed with the laid-back demeanor necessary to crafting flawless cuvées, as well as with the opportunity to work a 97-year old parcel purchased from Noël Verset, retired Cornas icon. The domaine was founded in 1931 by Franck’s grandfather, Casmir Balthazar, buying some vines and planting others, with its first bottling in 1980. Franck took over the 2 hectare family estate from his father René in 2002. Then the estate was made of one hectare of century old vines and one of forty-year old; he has since expanded to 3.5 hectares of Syrah, with new plantings in 2005 and 2008, from which he makes about 8,000 bottles each year in a small cellar behind a local church. By fermenting each parcel separately, Franck is able to better demonstrate the expressive value of his lands. His philosophy in the vineyard and in the cellar is purely traditional, reflective of the great Cornas producers who preceded him. In the vineyard and the cellar, he is a one-man show: he ferments the grapes with the stems intact, with some pumping over and light pigeage, and ages the wine in demi-muid (600 liter barrels). He is a purist and a traditionalist, and has perfected his method of cultivation and vinification of the Syrah grape. His wines, we offer, as proof of its effectiveness: they are luxurious, expressive, and elegant, with an unmistakable sense of place.

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.