Sans Soufre Cornas:
Intensity and Refinement
2014 Balthazar Cornas Casimir Sans Soufre
Balthazar's wines have grown increasingly refined and complex with each passing vintage.
Since the 2010, though, it's clear that something has clicked.
Today, there is no doubt that Franck Balthazar is one of Cornas' top, young, traditionally-minded growers.
I'm very happy to offer one of our favorite bottles from Balthazar, the Casimir Sans Soufre.
I should warn you from the outset that there's always a very small amount of this wine available. It's basically a one-shot deal.
Much like Thierry Allemand does in certain vintages, Balthazar produces a small amount of Cornas bottled without sulphur.
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I can remember the first vintage of Balthazar's Sans Soufre that we opened at the store. The entire staff was blown away. I remember coming back for a second glass and the bottle had long been drained.
Rhône authority John Livingstone-Learmonth writes that Balthazar's wines "express their place faithfully." That sums it up nicely. Balthazar's style always combines a sturdy, inky Cornas intensity with a sense of agility and refinement.
Balthazar's Sans Soufre bottling dramatizes Balthazar's style in a beautiful way. It's an ultra-expressive example of the power, lift and elegance that Balthazar achieves along with gorgeous purity and detail. There's complex dark fruits, spice, granite minerality and loads of floral notes. In the 2014 vintage, there's an extra-layer of meaty intensity.
Balthazar's methods are old-school: stems are included, he raises the wines in old 600-liter demi-muids. He even plows his vineyards with a horse. The wines boast an honesty and simultaneously a quiet exactingness. Nothing seems out of place or exaggerated.
This is one of the arrivals that we get very excited about each year. As we said, it's pretty much here now and then gone until the next vintage.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
2014 Balthazar Cornas Casimir Sans Soufre