Franck Balthazar - Saint-Péray 2023
Domaine Franck Balthazar was founded in 1931. It has been managed since 2002 by Franck, who succeeded his father René, in charge since 1950 and who had supervised the transition to bottling at the estate in the 1970s. The estate has grown from 2 hectares in 2002 (1 hectare of century-old vines in Chaillot and 1 hectare of vines around 50 years old in Mazard ) to around 3.5 hectares today. Plantations on a steep site above Sabarotte have were added in 2005 and 2008 on newly formed terraces. Franck Balthazar's aim is to maintain the traditional approach of his grandfather, Casimir.
The vineyards are organic and plowed with a horse, the ferments are whole bunches with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats. To preserve the perfume of the old vines and high altitude plantations, all the wines are aged in old demi-muids of 600 liters . Sulfur is reduced to a minimum and all winemaking techniques are as natural as possible.
Saint-Péray is made from Roussanne , from a plot whose terroir is composed of clay on a granite base.
Grape variety: 100% Roussanne