Following a brief career as an engineer at a textile company, Franck Balthazar took over his father René’s wine company in 2002. In 2004 he purchased a half a hectare with 90-year old Syrah vines from his retired uncle Joël Verset. One of the most respected members of the old guard in Cornas. With parcels in Chaillot (± 1 ha), Mazards (0.4 ha) and Lègre, his surface area is only 4 hectares, 2 of which are planted with young vines . The annual production and our allocation is therefore limited.Franck works his vineyards, which are located on the steep, southeast facing, granite-containing slopes, organically, and entirely by hand. A horse is used only for the heavy ploughing. Although traditional methods are used in the cellar – fermentation with natural yeast cells of full bunches and maturation in old demi-muid – the elegance and purity of Chaillot is remarkable. Sulfite is used with restraint, and since 2015 it has been eliminated altogether on an experimental basis in a small number of barrels. Franck continued to use the old cellar under the family home until 2014,but he now has a new, climatized cellar next to his own house. He has also started négociant activities on a very modest scale, including in grapes from Séguret (Southern Rhône).Balthazar is seen as a respected, valued successor to the now retired old-school producers Verset, Trollat en Gentaz-Dervieux. His Chaillot is one of the propositions in Cornas, certainly from a price-quality perspective. Balthazar was granted official organic certification in 2013.