Cote de Nuits Villages, Domaine Didier Fornerol 2020

Notes of cherries, raspberries, sweet spices and loamy soil introduce the 2020 Côte de Nuits-Villages, a medium to full-bodied, velvety and concentrated wine that's layered and incipiently complex, with lively acids and powdery structuring tannins. The vintage delivers unusual color and muscle, but not at the expense of Fornerol's customary elegance.

From three plots, two of which Didier thinks are definitely more suited to white wine over red, though all three are suffering from the wretched 161/49C rootstock issue. The Côte de Nuits-Villages has a more discreet nose than the Bourgogne. Both are without added sulphur until the bottling. This is livelier on the palate, then a little biscuity touch at the back. Good acidity, more finesse. Tasted: February 2022.

In barrel, not yet racked, though this was about to happen in March. Another exceptionally deep dense colour. Bilberries and dark cherries, compelling. Sweetly succulent, a dusting of sandalwood from the barrel, a coherent interweaving of acidity, dense and very long.