2006 Cornas Chaillot

Ruby-red. Spicy red berry aromas are complicated by rose, violet, smoked meat and anise. Understated and precise, with sweet red and dark berry flavors, silky texture and slow-building tannins. A tangy note of redcurrant lingers on the long, clean finish. This wine displays the elegance of a top-notch Cote-Rotie. Balthazar raises his wine completely in demi-muids, none of them new, and bottles without fining or filtration.

Lot #1: Dark red. Fresh strawberry and raspberry on the nose, with a sexy floral overtone. Spicy, pure and focused, with wonderful clarity and finishing sweetness. Lot #2: Deep ruby. More assertive aromas of smoky cherry and dark berries. Powerful cherry and cassis flavors are deep, chewy and youthfully brooding. Finishes with excellent grip and thrust. The blend should be outstanding.