Crafted from old vines rooted in clay soils—two-thirds at the foot of the slope and one-third mid-slope—the 2022 Cornas Cuvée Casimir Balthazar unfurls from the glass with a delicately reduced bouquet of dark cherries, spices, pepper and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textured, it's elegantly juicy with good depth at the core, structured, youthful tannins and a long, spicy finish. Currently introverted due to the presence of reduction, it requires time to integrate its élevage and fully adjust to its recent bottling. This is an impressive effort.