2018 Franck Balthazar "Cuvee Casimir" Cornas

The Cuvée Casimir is Balthazar's second Cornas bottled from the Les Mazards plot, with 100% whole cluster fermentation and a more crunchy red-fruit driven style.

Annoyed you can't get enough Thierry Allemand? Here's a solid replacement. The immense success of Cornas's previous generation of growers (Clape, Verset, Juge) compelled the next generation to leave their professions and return to these granitic slopes. One of these top growers in Cornas today is Franck Balthazar, who left his engineering career in 2002 to answer the siren song of Cornas' steep granite slopes and take up the classic farming and winemaking methods of his father René. These are classic, tense age-worthy Cornas chock-full of peppercorn, black pepper, and smoked meats character. Ten years ago, these wines were under $50, and the prices climb each year. Get them while they are still reasonable.