95 pts Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The 2023 Balado has aromatic intensity and is still very primary and undeveloped, combining power and good development of aromas and flavors with more finesse and elegance. It has 13.5% alcohol and a velvety texture; it went through full malolactic, which gives some creaminess, but it's neatly balanced by the granite minerality. The wine is still fresh and has longevity. 4,200 bottles and 150 magnums were filled in early June 2024. - Luis Gutierrez, The Wine Advocate - July 2024

This wine is from two parcels of ungrafted vines, planted in the 1950’s in a Clos (or Balo in the local dialect). Here, there is only about 40-60 cm of topsoil over a bedrock of solid granite. Vinification is in steel tank, and malolactic fermentation is blocked. As such, this is often the most taught, chiseled and mineral-driven in the line-up, and can often require some bottle age to reveal its full potential. Vinification takes place in stainless steel with wild yeast. The wine is aged on the gross lees for 3-6 months and then on the fine lees for 6 months