Franck Balthazar Saint Péray, Rhone Valley, France 2021
Franck Balthazar Saint Péray, Rhone Valley, France 2021
There is a fragile beauty to this wine, it is delicate, complex, and bashful. Instead of power it has charm, instead of electric acidity it excites you with its mystery, instead of handing you heavy citrus or stone fruit it shows you little flowers and droplets of dew and honey, like a child giving a tour of her family's meadow.
It has been 2 years since we have seen this wine from Franck. The vineyards were planted in 2013, in granitic soil at 350 meters in altitude. After spontaneous fermentation with native yeast, the wine is aged in sandstone eggs for about 10 months. Very small production.
Notes on the wine from John Livingstone of Drink Rhône:
****
shiny yellow robe; the nose is floral and salted, an air of compote, cooked white fruits, low-key apricot, is a discreet opening. The palate has a soft intro, a flavour of honey, peach, is nicely textured, pleases with a fine touch finish. This is charming, floral Saint-Péray, a great aperitif, a w.o.w. wine. 12°. A record 2,000 b this year. Bottled Jan 2022. 2026 Oct 2022
Grapes: Roussanne
Soil: Roussanne on granite slopes 350m
Viticulture: Organic
Pairing: A back yard in the spring time with a close friend or loved one
2,000 bottles produced
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