Didier Fornerol – Cote de Nuits Villages Rue des Foins

Whether red or white, this is the wine King Henri IV had in mind to go with the Sunday chicken he wished every family in France to enjoy. It is as accessible as it is amiable, honest and straightforward in taste. The red, which has the gleaming crimson highlights of the Pinot grape, veers sometimes towards an intense garnet hue or, when young, a bright cherry. Its aromas run a classic spectrum through cherry, gooseberry and blackcurrant to notes of underbrush, mushroom and spices (cinnamon). This is a big-hearted wine, powerful in the mouth, full and meaty, and its tannins (more conspicuously present in the younger wines) are well smoothed-down.

Virile and broad-shouldered, this wine is nevertheless softened by well-marked fruit and by a degree of roundness on the palate, so it is only to be expected that meat dishes will be the first choice to match it. Its aromatic power is sufficient to cope with chunky or smooth pâtés, roasted or fried offal, and suppler meats such as pork (roasted or in sauce), well-roasted lamb, or braised veal. It goes best with cheeses that have a well-marked flavor: Époisses, Langres, Ami du Chambertin...

Serving temperature: 14 to 16 °C.