Franck Balthazar

The living legacy of Cornas

A lineage rooted in granite

Founded in 1931 by Casimir Balthazar, the estate is now run by Franck Balthazar, a discreet and passionate winemaker who cultivates the soul of Cornas with rare humility. Nestled on the steep slopes of the appellation, his Syrah vines sink their roots into an austere granite base, from which wines of telluric depth are born. Here, family history blends with a contemporary vision of wine, respectful of the place and the living.

Artisanal viticulture without artifice

Since the early 2010s, the estate has been committed to organic farming, with extreme attention paid to working the soil: pickaxe, winch, no herbicides or pesticides, and a constant search for the natural balance of the vine. Everything is done by hand, in a spirit of peasant continuity. Yields are low, the grapes harvested at perfect ripeness, to preserve the energy of the fruit and the frankness of the place.

Whole vinifications, for whole wines

In the cellar, nothing smooths or distorts the grape's identity. The bunches are vinified whole, fermentations are initiated by indigenous yeasts, macerations are long, and aging is carried out in aged demi-muids for 12 to 18 months. Sulfur is used sparingly. The result is vibrant, intense wines with racy tannins and a well-established minerality—Cornas that stand the test of time, without disguise or compromise.

Wild elegance

Raised in the footsteps of his father, René, and an admirer of both the classicism of Pierre-Marie Clape and the passion of Thierry Allemand, Franck Balthazar forges his own path: one of wild elegance and unfussy craftsmanship. His Cornas embody a magnificent tension between strength and restraint, substance and verticality. Through his vintages, he perpetuates ancient expertise while instilling a new consciousness—that of a free, inhabited, essential wine.