Introducing Domaine Balansa

Céline Peyre - Domaine Balansa
France, Languedoc, Hautes-Corbieres

Whilst visiting the family home in 2012, Céline Peyre first felt the strong pull to leave her life in the city and return to her roots, close to nature among the family vineyards.

Just three years later she and her partner; Alexandre Gressent had moved back to Corbieres to begin Domaine Balansa in collaboration with her parents.

These 14 hectares of old-vines had been in the Peyre family for several generations, with fruit mostly sold on to the local winemaking co-op. With the return of Céline, the family began to vinify their own crop for the first time.

Farming is organic, and in conversion to biodynamics since 2018, with the plots on schist, scattered over the wildly beautiful hillsides at 140-280 metres altitude in the Hautes-Corbieres.

Their wines are typified by both the sunny, windy Mediterranean climate and the surrounding maquis scrubland. Work in the cellar is gentle, extractions are low for nimble and energetic wines, bottled with very little to no sulphur.

We have three wines available from Céline and her family, and have been really enjoying their excellent expressions of this very special corner of France.

White

Coume De Maliès - 2020
Picked from hills of brown schist, co-planted mostly with Grenache Blanc and Gris, and a small quantity of Carignan Blanc & Gris, Vermentino, and Blanqutte.
Grapes have a 3-day cold maceration before pressing and fermentation to lend the wine some more savoury aromatics and texture.
Fleshy, generous and saline, with a beautifully balanced acidity and the delicate structure of a jasmine tea.

RED

The Balansa reds walk a tightrope between the seasons, with deep, autumnal fruits and bright summer flowers.

Bel Soula - 2019

From a parcel co-planted with Grenache & Carignan, and a little Syrah, with 1 day cold maceration to preserve delicate aromatics. Fermented and aged inn concrete, bottled unfined & unfiltered. Bel Soula is fresh and crunchy, with delicate floral aromatics and gentle tannins. Raspberry and black cherry.

Can Del Rey - 2019

Carignan and Grenache Noir hand harvested from century old vines undergo a 17 day carbonic maceration in stainless steel. Pressed to old barrels for 12 months ageing. Unfined and unfiltered.

Deeper black fruits framed with a strong line of minerality. Tempered with delicate bitterness and a fresh, zesty finish.