{"title":"Franck Balthazar","description":"\u003cp\u003eBased in Cornas, Franck Balthazar continues a family legacy that spans nearly a century, producing Syrah wines that showcase the granite-rich soils and steep slopes of the Northern Rhône. He adheres to traditional viticulture and winemaking practices, emphasizing hand-harvested grapes, native yeasts, and minimal intervention in the cellar.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2023-franck-balthazar-cornas-cuv-e-casimirsomm2602-fbzr23crncsmr-750","title":"2023 Franck Balthazar, Cornas \"Cuvée Casimir\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFranck Balthazar is the man currently holding the keys to the Northern Rhône’s most historic dirt, and for the collector community, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. While Thierry Allemand’s name carries the weight of a legend and the price tag of a small inheritance, the real energy in the region has shifted toward Balthazar’s cellar. He isn’t just \"another\" producer; as the biological and spiritual successor to the late, great Noël Verset, Franck inherited a 100-year-old lineage of Syrah that has been farmed by hand and horse for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eNamed after Franck's grandfather, the \"Cuvée Casimir\" is the collection's most approachable entry. Sourced from vines nearly 30 years old planted on granitic soils, this bottling serves as a vibrant introduction to the Balthazar style without the need for a decade of cellaring. It beautifully captures the energy of the vintage through a \"soil-to-glass\" purity that is a hallmark of the estate.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ul1\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eTasting Note:\u003c\/b\u003e A vibrant, peppery, and red-fruited Syrah that offers immediate accessibility and fresh granitic character.  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCritical Acclaim:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"float: none;\" alt=\"Vinous Media\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/files\/vinous_240x240.png?v=1769834033\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e94 Points, Vinous Media:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/files\/jeb_dunnuck_240x240.png?v=1769834039\" alt=\"Jeb Dunnuck\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16px; float: none;\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe 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. Drink 2026-2046.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SommSelect","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44877535969334,"sku":"SOMM2602-FBZR23CRNCSMR-750","price":115.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/files\/2023FranckBalthazar_CornasCuveeCasimir.png?v=1772138029"},{"product_id":"2023-franck-balthazar-cornas-juliettesomm2602-fbzr23crnjlt-750","title":"2023 Franck Balthazar, Cornas \"Juliette\"","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFranck Balthazar is the man currently holding the keys to the Northern Rhône’s most historic dirt, and for the collector community, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. While Thierry Allemand’s name carries the weight of a legend and the price tag of a small inheritance, the real energy in the region has shifted toward Balthazar’s cellar. He isn’t just \"another\" producer; as the biological and spiritual successor to the late, great Noël Verset, Franck inherited a 100-year-old lineage of Syrah that has been farmed by hand and horse for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe \"Juliette\" bottling is the newest addition to the Balthazar lineup, sourced from high-elevation parcels that lend the wine a distinct, crystalline lift. This cuvée represents an elegant, \"finesse-driven\" counterpoint to the more muscular traditional bottlings of the region. It showcases a side of Cornas that is simultaneously powerful, incredibly fresh, and deeply aromatic.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTasting Note:\u003c\/b\u003e An elegant and powerful Syrah defined by floral aromatics, a crystalline mineral lift, and profound freshness.  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SommSelect","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44877555171382,"sku":"SOMM2602-FBZR23CRNJLT-750","price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/files\/2023FranckBalthazar_CornasJuliette.png?v=1772137877"},{"product_id":"2023-franck-balthazar-cornas-chaillotsomm2602-fbzr23crncht-750","title":"2023 Franck Balthazar, Cornas \"Chaillot\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFranck Balthazar is the man currently holding the keys to the Northern Rhône’s most historic dirt, and for the collector community, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. While Thierry Allemand’s name carries the weight of a legend and the price tag of a small inheritance, the real energy in the region has shifted toward Balthazar’s cellar. He isn’t just \"another\" producer; as the biological and spiritual successor to the late, great Noël Verset, Franck inherited a 100-year-old lineage of Syrah that has been farmed by hand and horse for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe \"Chaillot\" is the flagship and heart of the domaine, featuring 100-year-old vines acquired directly from Franck's uncle, the legendary Noël Verset. As the definitive benchmark for the \"Verset style\" in the modern era, this is a profound and structured wine. It is born from the sun-drenched natural amphitheater of decomposed granite that defines Cornas' most primal terroir.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ul1\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eTasting Note:\u003c\/b\u003e A profound, structured, and deeply mineral Syrah that serves as the ultimate expression of historic Cornas terroir.  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCritical Acclaim:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMuch 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. Drink 2030-2045.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SommSelect","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44877571194934,"sku":"SOMM2602-FBZR23CRNCHT-750","price":149.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/files\/2023FranckBalthazar_CornasChaillot.png?v=1772137718"},{"product_id":"2023-franck-balthazar-cornas-cuv-e-hommagesomm2602-fbzr23crnhmg-750","title":"2023 Franck Balthazar, Cornas \"Cuvée Hommage\"","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFranck Balthazar is the man currently holding the keys to the Northern Rhône’s most historic dirt, and for the collector community, this is the moment we’ve been waiting for. While Thierry Allemand’s name carries the weight of a legend and the price tag of a small inheritance, the real energy in the region has shifted toward Balthazar’s cellar. He isn’t just \"another\" producer; as the biological and spiritual successor to the late, great Noël Verset, Franck inherited a 100-year-old lineage of Syrah that has been farmed by hand and horse for generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOften referred to as the \"Holy Grail\" of the cellar, \"Cuvée Hommage\" is a microscopic production from the very oldest vines within the Chaillot vineyard, planted in 1914. This rarity is so limited that it is seldom seen on retail shelves in the United States. It represents the pinnacle of Franck Balthazar’s work, marrying ancient vine depth with unparalleled precision.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ul1\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003eTasting Note:\u003c\/b\u003e A rare, high-toned, and complex Syrah from century-old vines, offering a singular and deeply soulful \"soil-to-glass\" experience.  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCritical Acclaim:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e94 Points, Vinous Media: \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe complex 2023 Cornas Chaillot Cuvée Hommage glows instantly with delicate, ripe blackberry, graphite, orange peel, dried violets and stemmy accents. Mid-range but almost full in feel, round and loaded with fresh verve, the 2023 is such a gorgeous Cornas from the talented Franck Balthazar, leading the palate to the finish with such delicacy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SommSelect","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44877581811766,"sku":"SOMM2602-FBZR23CRNHMG-750","price":299.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/files\/2023FranckBalthazar_CornasJuliette.png?v=1772137877"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0551\/3628\/8822\/collections\/FRANCK_BALTHAZAR_-_northern_rhone.png?v=1772225648","url":"https:\/\/sommselect.com\/collections\/franck-balthazar.oembed","provider":"SommSelect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}