Fornerol: A hidden gem from Cotes de Nuits

Fornerol is something of an exception. He makes wines that are both delicious and affordable: two words that rarely go together in Burgundy. We have just shipped some more 2019 Cote de Nuits Villages rouge from the domaine and it is excellent. The Wine Advocate’s William Kelley agrees: in his review out last week, he calls the wines of Fornerol “striking wines that would embarrass, nay humiliate, plenty of winemakers’ grander AOCs… the wines merit a place in any serious Burgundy lover’s cellar’.

Didier Fornerol’s success with sometimes overlooked appellations is partly a result of his depth of experience. He worked as vineyard and cellar manager for Jean de Smet at Domaine de l’Arlot for 10 years, before returning to the family domaine in Corgolin in 1999. He uses a high percentage of whole clusters in the blend to give structure and depth to the wine. The Cote de Nuits Villages comes from 3.7 hectares of vines and is matured for around 12 months in barrel. The sunny, warm conditions of 2019 give a particular juiciness to the fruit this year.

We have been drinking this wine at home ourselves, and it comes highly recommended. All the elements to age are there – although it is difficult to resist right now.

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