2022 Didier Fornerol, Cote de Nuits-Villages Rouge - Magnum

Part of what makes Burgundy so exciting today is that the lesser known, unsung appellations are reaching new heights. It is impossible to purchase top terroirs around Burgundy, and so ambitious and super talented vignerons are turning to less famous terroirs and taking them to another level. Didier Fornerol is the former vineyard manager and cellar master at Domaine de l’Arlot from ’82 to ’98 under the watchful eye of Jean-Pierre de Smet. De Smet is a legendary winemaker – a contemporary and close acquaintance of guys like Hubert de Montille, Henri Jayer and Aubert de Villaine. Needless to say, Didier has had an incredible career. In 1999, he left de l’Arlot to take over his family’s business. They make a couple of different wines, but this Cote de Nuits Villages rouge is the star of the domaine. This wine punches way above its weight! This “modest” wine delivers all the magic and soul of great red Burgundy, which is a testament to Didier’s special talent and the benefits of working with one of Burgundy’s legendary winemakers. That sense of weightlessness, tension and saline acidity is there in spades. Frankly, there are very few red Burgundies in the entire region that compete with Didier Fornerol on a price-to-value basis.