Grapes: Grenache dominant, with Syrah and/or Carignan — certified organic, Cornas, Northern Rhône, France. Franck Balthazar is better known for his Cornas — a small, serious Northern Rhône appellation that produces some of France's most powerful and age-worthy Syrah — but the Côtes du Rhône is where he shows what a grower of his calibre can do with a regional label. Sourced from organically farmed parcels and made with the same minimal-intervention philosophy that defines his top wines, this is about as far from a generic Côtes du Rhône as you can get. Grenache provides the warm, generous red fruit core — ripe cherry, raspberry, a hint of garrigue — while Syrah adds definition, a peppery spine, and the Northern Rhône character that sets it apart from its southern counterparts. Whole-cluster inclusions are likely, adding a subtle savory lift and freshness that keeps the wine honest and alive. The 2024 vintage in the Rhône was fresh and aromatic — expect more tension and less weight than the riper 2022 and 2023 releases. This is a grower Côtes du Rhône in the truest sense: a serious producer making something genuinely worth seeking out at an accessible price point. The bottle for the customer who already loves Rhône and wants to go deeper.