When Franck Balthazar returned home in 2002 to take over his father’s vines in Cornas, the stakes were relatively low. Cornas was less important than it is now, a small Northern Rhone village where most growers sold their wine in cask to local restaurants rather than bottling them. Things have changed somewhat since then, but Franck’s methods remain firmly low tech in the vineyard and winery, and his wines are old-schooled, full structured, meaty and savory all the way through. For his (still inexpensive) Cotes du Rhone, he sources organic  grapes from a friend in the southern Rhone village of Seguret. The wine stays true to his minimal principles in the cellar, and ages only in used oak. The wine opens with aromas of deep black cherry and blood orange peel, pepper and oregano. The palate is lush and warm with red currants and more orange, with garrigue herbs and spices and pepper. Tannins build slowly towards the finish, making this one suitable for hearty, slow cooked meat dishes, smoky barbecue flavors, and eggplant parmesan.