The Fornerot family is no stranger to Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune: For over 500 years, countless generations have lived and toiled in the commune of Saint-Aubin. Domaine Jérôme Fornerot, however, is a relatively new enterprise: Following conscription and a stint at his father’s domaine, Jérôme decided to set out on his own in 2004 with the purchase of a few hectares in Santenay. 

Santenay lies at the southern end of Côte de Beaune, far removed from the kings of Côte de Nuits up north, but not necessarily unmatched. Down here, you’ll find far-more affordable red Burgundy and, if you’re lucky, ones like today that outperform their extremely modest price tags. The Premier Cru vineyard “Beauregard” sits on stony red soils in the northern limits of Santenay, near Chassagne-Montrachet. It is considered among winemakers and critics as one of the top 1er Cru climats of the appellation, along with Gravières, Grand Clos Rousseau, Fourneaux, and La Comme. 

Fornerot’s small parcel of 60-year-old vines is farmed lutte raisonnée and harvested manually. In the winery, grapes are entirely de-stemmed and aged in mostly French barrels, 15% new. Then, the barrels are blended together and six more months of aging in stainless steel tanks occurs before bottling to ensure full integration of all components. And this 2019 “Beauregard” is firing on all cylinders: Although young, it blossoms with bright red florals, strawberry, red plum, red licorice, goji berry, red tea, wet stone, and baking spice. Each velvety layer provides tension, lift, and refreshment before finishing slowly on a soft bed of crushed minerality. It’s a crowning Premier Cru achievement for $45! Enjoy now and over the next 7-10 years.