Côtes du Rhône 2024 Franck Balthazar | Rhône

Franck Balthazar 's Côtes du Rhône offers a sincere, straightforward vision of the wines of the Northern Rhône Valley, and an accessible gateway into the world of this great winemaker. For this cuvée, Domaine Franck Balthazar blends parcels located on the edge of the communal area, on granite and limestone gravel soils. The vineyard benefits from an environment where Syrah and Grenache naturally find their balance towards homogeneous ripeness and precise fruit. As always at Franck Balthazar, the vines are organically grown and harvested by hand. Partial de-stemming of the grapes, depending on the batch, is used to adjust texture, while maceration is carried out by infusion, and fermentation is initiated by indigenous yeasts. Ageing in vats and old foudres refines the grain of the wine without marking it, and bottling is carried out with minimal addition of sulfur.

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin : Franck Balthazar 's Côtes du Rhône illustrates a straightforward, limpid approach to terroir. The wine retains the granitic imprint of the Northern Rhône while adopting a freer, more immediate expression, built on the purity of the fruit. Domaine Franck Balthazar applies the same exacting standards to this cuvée as it does to its Cornas, but in a more supple, accessible style. This is a Côtes du Rhône that favors rhythm and finesse, with a precision rare in its category.

The nose opens with the delicacy of fresh violets and peonies, enhanced by the greed of cooked red and black fruits. A touch of black pepper recalls the essence of Syrah, while a mineral expression of warm stone emerges as the wine opens. The balance between floral and spicy is a pure, clean bouquet, where the fruit retains its precision.

On the palate, the texture is surprisingly fine and supple. The juiciness of wild berries is boosted by perfectly balanced mineral tension. The fine, well-melted tannins fluidly support the peppery aromas, whose freshness leaves a clean, straightforward impression on the palate that continues on to a surprisingly long finish.