Fresh and precise on the nose raspberry, plum, violet, white pepper, and a hit of garrigue. On the palate it's medium-bodied with juicy fruit, clean acidity, and fine powdery tannins that build slowly to a long, mineral finish. For a basic Côtes du Rhône, it drinks with uncommon focus. The Balthazar domaine dates to 1931 in Cornas, one of the Northern Rhône's most prestigious appellations. Franck is the current generation, and he's become one of the most respected natural wine producers in the region organic farming, whole-bunch fermentation, minimal SO₂. The flagship Cornas gets all the attention and price, but this Côtes du Rhône (60% Syrah, 40% Grenache from three organically farmed hectares near Vinsobres) is widely considered the entry point into his philosophy without the premium. It genuinely overdelivers at the price.