Arlaud – 2016

Update 20.12.2017(13.12.2017)billn

Tasted in Morey St.Denis with Cyprien Arlaud, 22 November, 2017.

Domaine Arlaud Père et Fils
41 Rue Epernay
21220 Morey St.Denis
Tel: +33 3 80 34 32 65
www.domainearlaud.com

Cyprien on 2017:
Satisfied! There was worry of frost to start, but really it was the yields to be most careful about. I did a green harvest in many vineyards in August and it was really important. A vintage that will be good so long the yields were respected. The maturity was everything.

Cyprien on 2016:
​In 2016 we had all the climatic conditions you could have thought of. Not a catastrophe here as Morey, like Vosne, was little touched by the the frost, but of course our vines in Chambolle et-cetera were frosted. We kept our Biodynamic certification – that was really important for me. The second half of the vintage was super. We had good grapes at the end and I’d say it became a fine, classic vintage. We harvested good, concentrated grapes in the best conditions, stopping a day when required to harvest at the best maturity. It was a risk to harvest over mature grapes as the yields were so low, but the result is very Burgundian and with fresh fruit, so I’m satisfied because it’s always complicated to have freshness with high maturity, but 2016 achieves that – ​it’s a different vintage, but the energy has many similarities to 2010. ​

“I used a little less stems, typically I use about 15-20% and whilst the fruit was mature, it was a little too delicate to wait longer for the stems to get riper. ​The amount of new oak is lower in 2016, but the average age hasn’t changed much as I’ve more 1-year-old barrels – so less new but more recent. I saw fairly long fermentations, the malos were also a little late – some finishing a little before the harvest.

Although Cyprien describes the harvest as ‘no catastrophe’ they lost, overall, 50% of their volume.

The wines…

A fabulous range of wines again from Cyprien Arlaud, this year a very red-fruited domaine.

 

2016 Bourgogne Roncevie
Lost over 60% here in the bottom of Morey. It was racked two weeks ago and will be bottled in December
A very fine, round nose of fresh volume. Supple, very fine proportion, even some fat from the concentration with a nice vibrant length. Yes this needs time to round out but it will be super.

2016 Morey St.Denis
From 2 parcels; Les Seuvrées and Clos Solon.
A little more depth, tighter width. Really bright red fruit, wrapped in a little velvet tannin – again vibrant with a hint of minerality this time – more persistent too. Lovely wine..

2016 Chambolle-Musigny
Normally from 5 parcels, all close to Morey.
Deep, a little reductive. More brightness, some floral aspects, a grain of tannin at the base. This will make a mega-attractive wine – super persistence too! The last drops in the glass are lovely.

2016 Gevrey-Chambertin
From Seuvrées and La Justice.
Also a hint of reduction on the nose. But in the mouth this is wider – hmm, then the flavour melts over the palate – ooh that’s soooo good!

2016 Morey St.Denis 1er Les Millandes
A beautiful perfumed width of aroma. Wide, more structure but also more width of flavour and complexity too. Delicious! Great power in the finish…

2016 Morey St.Denis 1er Les Blanchards
A more open nose so there’s a more vibrant depth without much reductive help. A hint of gas. Fresher, wider style – complex, pure and alive. High-toned and perfumed wine. Yes!
2016 Morey St.Denis 1er Aux Chezeaux
A vineyard that touches on Mazoyères. 35-year-old vines.
Just the most beautiful, perfumed nose – bravo. Wide, melting, not a wine of impact, but one of gorgeous elegance and detail – bravo great wine!
​2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Noirots
Normally three barrels, only one this year, there was nothing from Chatelots
Deep, profound, not reductive, just great fruit. Supple, concentrated, delicate but at the same time confident. Great wine again!

​2016 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Sentiers
Brighter, wider but also a faintly reduced nose. More structure, a hint more oak showing (1 yo barrel) but many dimensions of flavour, and very long. Super wine.

2016 Morey St.Denis 1er Les Ruchots
A little spice, some depth, but quite a tight nose to start – more vibrant and red with time. This has structure but fabulously pure red fruit – crystalline and beautiful – wait for the structure to soften but great wine.

2016 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Combottes
‘Old vines we though not frosted at first because the buds kept pushing but in the end there was some damage, so Charmes & Combottes didn’t produce much. Much less in these vines – maybe -35%.’ One part here is 95 years old.
A silky width of red aroma, this really reminds me of a Latricières this year. Beautiful red fruit, modestly visible structure, long, long flavours of fine red fruit. Gorgeous finishing!

2016 Charmes-Chambertin
These vines are sited just below Latricières.​
Bigger aroma, a rounder aroma. Fresh, plenty of structure, I’m almost surprised that it is less friendly than the Combottes after such a nose, but the layers of flavour ingraining the palate. This is floral and vibrant in the finish. Great a wine of some power this year.

2016 Clos de la Roche
Modest volume of aroma but a depth of pure red fruit – the domaine has very red fruit this year. Width, depth, high tones – beautifully understated but lots of volume – a calm, melting, wine of pure flavour this year. So long too… really persistent. I love the style… calm – it’s almost the opposite of the Charmes…

2015 Clos St.Denis
A big nose, of deeper, darker fruit, some sweetness, almost make-up vs the Clos de la Roche. But in the mouth this has volume and fresh complexity that is equally beguiling, just a little barrel addition to this wine but fresh, round and beautiful wine, just a touch of tannin deep into the finish for the memory…

2016 Bonnes-Mares
From the Chambolle side, including vines in both terres-blanches and terres-rouges.
Ooh – vibrant, pure, gorgeous nose. Really a fine freshness, not overt volume but a great melting, bright fruit, but more than fruit… mineral, sucrosity, purity. All-round great wine. Not a wine of brutality! Simply great wine…

There are, since 2013, some négoce wines, and where possible, the domaine also do the vineyard work:

​2016 Bourgogne Oka
Already bottled last week, name of the horse, half from domaine fruit, half purchases from Côte de Nuits and Hautes Côtes.
Vibrant, overt pretty fruit. Great volume – open and delicious – even after Bonnes-Mares – bravo!

2016 Vosne-Romanée
Au Commune 90%, not pure purchases, do all the work here for 0.5 ha, included in certification for Bio, the part of the bourgogne is the only purchase where there is no work by the team here – “For me its so important to progress the quality.”
A little reductive but a spicy and classic nose. Fresh, complex, reduction here too but lots of complexity, really a fine wine from the mid-palate onward.

2016 Vosne-Romanée Aux Reas
Villages Aux Réas. Malos for these Vosnes only finished just before harvest.
A little less reduction yet a more powerful depth of aroma. Volume, a little more and finer structure, more concentrated, slightly tighter fruit, darker fruit, but perfectly balanced and finely mouth-watering. Excellent

2016 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Petits-Monts
Only 2 barrels.
A much wider nose, a little cushioning, tighter below. Wide and fresh, a little more intense, slowly mouth-watering, a wine that takes its time to open, but open it does – a great finish.

2015 Echézeaux
A little parcel in Les Treux, high up, with 60-year-old vines. ​This year only half a barrel!
A very pretty nose but quite tight, delicate and complex. Really a very fine transparency here, wide, darker, more complex fruit – sleek wine, not much depth of texture but great depth of flavour. A little floral in the finish – really in the style of the domaine grand crus – super wine but so little…

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