Marsannay-la-Cote is the northernmost appellation in the Cotes de Nuits and, as also its coolest spot temperature-wise, a beneficiary rather than a victim of the recent string of warm to hot vintages in Burgundy.  Back in the old days, even the best Marsannay Rouge, even if it was made by Joseph Roty or Jean Fournier, the appellation’s two greatest producers, would be lighter, lacier and spicier and pepperier than any other wines from the Cotes.  These days, not so much!  There’s more color now and plenty of gras to work with as well as alcohols of 13.5% achieved without any chapitalization.  Suddenly the best Marsannays are drawing comparisons to their southern neighbors in Gevrey-Chambertin, and that’s put venerable producers like Fournier onto a bigger stage.  As a farmer of the district’s best and oldest vineyards, winemaker Laurent Fournier’s newfound notoriety has allowed him to complete a conversion to biodynamic farming and EcoCert certification on his quest to produce the best wines ever at an estate that can actually trace its roots back to the days of Louis XIII!   The property has vines located in both Marsannay and Gevrey-Chambertin, and Fournier’s holdings in the Clos du Roy, Marsannay’s best-known climat, are aged over 60 years old with some even a lot older. Laurent is known for producing wines of prodigious power and usually keeps his best cuvees three years or longer in the cellar before release in order to round out their youthful tannin a bit.  The 2019 Clos du Roy was 60% destemmed and the rest fermented as whole clusters and cold soaked for a week before being fermented in tank and then aged in a combination of barrel sizes, a few of which are new.  This is a gorgeous midweight rendition of this vineyard- dark and earthy with violet-y floral notes and a hint of desiccated blueberry and forest floor on top of its cherry-plum fruit and bright mineral-tinged tannins.  It shows well now but, like all of Fournier’s wines, they are built to improve with age and I suspect this will be at its best in five or six years and keep for a lot longer if you have the patience.  I saw a recipe for a roasted leg of lamb coated in a half cup of mixed fresh herbs, anchovies and capers and this would be exactly the wine I’d choose to accompany.  Very highly recommended.