Cornas 2003 – Franck Balthazar – Alc. 13.5% - (€27 for current vintages)
Of all vintages, it seems surprising that 2003 should produce an antithesis of Henschke and this same wine’s showing at a club tasting in 2005 did not give a very good clue to how well it would be filling this role. Here’s what I wrote in 2005 -
Balthazar Cornas 2003. Wow! C: Purple at the rim. N: Almost explosive and very complex with notes of “confit” (roughly = “candied”) violet, raspberry, plum, bitter orange marmalade and a touch of varnish (is this VA?). P: Powerful with confit fruit aromas and burnished treacle but offset by good acidity. Strong structure with dark tannins and good length. Definitely 2003. 16.5/20 with potential ? [Pierre feels that this may equal the 1990 in time. I wonder about long term balance (those varnish notes?) but I will buy some.]
And this is how I found it last night –
C: Very deep ruby red
N: Well developed with notes of bright red and black fruit with a lot of sour cherry, a dash of wet leather and earthy minerals.
P: Full bodied, complex and invigorating with lively acidity, pungently tangy and savoury fruit, pepper, crisp minerals and excellent firm tannic support towards the long finish. Youthful excess has been tamed and the candied notes have receded so as to be scarcely noticeable; only perhaps intervening to make a gutsy Cornas highly palatable as early as its sixth year. The traces of varnish were still there but there is no trace of any new wood (indeed I believe that Balthazar uses none); some may feel that it is a touch rustic but I love its earthy vigour; 16.5/20+++