Cornas "Casimir Balthazar" 2023 Franck Balthazar | Rhône

Franck Balthazar 's Cornas Casimir Balthazar is a tribute to the winemaker's grandfather, the tutelary figure of the wine estate and appellation. On the steep slopes of Cornas, in the heart of the Northern Rhône, Syrah finds a strikingly pure expression in the decomposed granite soils. The Franck Balthazar wine estate perpetuates ancestral know-how, where everything is a matter of precise gestures: manual work, ploughing with a horse, hand harvesting, all organically grown. Grapes picked at optimum ripeness are vinified in whole bunches with their own indigenous yeasts, before being aged for a long period in old foudres, without fining or filtration, and with a minimal dose of sulfur at bottling. The result is a wine that balances itself between density and purity.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Franck Balthazar 's Cornas cuvée Casimir Balthazar embodies the living memory of know-how handed down through several generations. The wine exudes the coherence of precise craftsmanship. The spicy framework of Syrah and the characteristic straightness of granite are present, with an extra touch of harmony that confirms its place among the great Cornas terroirs, and the great wines of the Northern Rhône.

On the nose, Cornas cuvée Casimir Balthazar opens with a tight weave of black fruits, including wild blackberry, blackcurrant and blueberry. Hints of violets, pepper and black olives prolong the bouquet with a beautiful aromatic depth. A discreet hint of smoke at the back of the glass suggests the cuvée's potential to evolve over the next ten years. The overall impression is one of energy and clarity, with a constant balance between intensity and restraint.

On the palate, the fleshy ripeness of the perfectly blended tannins complements the velvety texture of the Syrah and accompanies its generous aromas of black fruits and violets, without dominating them. Long ageing in casks gives the wine a supple, slender texture that is particularly pleasing. The mineral tension of the granite meets touches of dried herbs and black pepper on the finish, whose refreshing length remains on the edge of restrained energy.