Tasted in Morey St.Denis with Cyprien Arlaud, 06 December, 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 2018:
“With 2018 I’m happy, though it has been complicated for vinifying. I started harvesting 03 September, and the grapes had great maturity. The last-harvested wines were a Bourgogne and 1er cru – both at 14 degrees, but the end on the vinifications took their time. The wines seem already to be delicious.”
Cyprien on 2017:
“2017 we harvested a little later, but not much – 3 days. I would say that the vintage was relatively easy, just the yields were a potentially complicating factor – I’m hapoy to have done a green harvest where needed – Chambolle villages, all the 1ers and grand crus – the Chambolle was frosted so that probably made the difference. Of course after the trauma of 2016 we were happy to see volume, but it had to be kept in check. Overall we had double the amount of Chambolle-Musigny than in 2016, but some crus gave zero in 2016! The yields are not more than in 2014 here – for me the context is important – I remember 1990 or 1996 that both could have been better with more concentration and I remembered that for 2017. So you have the open style of 2017 but there is depth – Certainly for grand crus with a proper rendement, they are going to keep very well. It’s a paradox; I don’t do more than 30% whole-clusters, I did less in 2016 more like 15% but in 2017 the vines were more regular so I’m back to 30%”
I asked Cyprien about his use of green harvests in the last couple of vintages: “Since we have been biodynamic, no green harvesting has been necessary, but the effect of 2016 frost in the following year can be seen in the biodynamic vineyards too – It’s the only reason, and if it’s needed, then it’s needed. We did it in August, keeping only those clusters that were starting to show veraison.”
The wines…
What I really love from this domaine, is to expect the unexpected. In 2015 there was an extra freshness to the wines. This vintage, there is an extra touch of structure that I have rarely noted at other domaines – you will find some great grand crus here in 2017. The wines here are a little more for keeping, de garde, and well done for that, Cyprien!
All sampled from barrel:
2017 Bourgogne Roncevie
35k bottles from the more than 5 ha.
A modest but open red fruit on the nose. Melting, faintly herbed, layered and with good energy, plus a touch of tannin, floral in the finish – to keep a year or two but fine.
2017 Morey St.Denis
From 2 parcels; Les Seuvrées and Clos Solon.
Narrow, fresh, but good depth of aroma. Bright, nice line, a certain serious depth. Like the Bourgogne don’t rush to drink this, despite such a beautifully floral finish!
Normally from 5 parcels, all close to Morey.
Airy, floral, an inviting nose. Structural, layered, fresh and open – this is great villages – with super depth – what a combination!
From Seuvrées and La Justice.
A little oak on the nose from this barrel sample. Open on the palate, more volume, a little grain of tannin frames the fresh, mobile flavour. Vin de garde again, brilliantly floral. intensely Long too.
2017 Morey St.Denis 1er Les Blanchards
Tight yet wide and deep, only begrudgingly offering fresher notes. A touch of reduction but extra energy and complexity after the Gevrey, if less suave. Chewy finishing, it’s a really great finish here – really…
2017 Morey St.Denis 1er Aux Chezeaux
A vineyard that touches on Mazoyères. 35-year-old vines.
A deep nose again, more fresh energy here. Extra intensity in this mouth-filling, fresh wine. A little more depth of texture too. Wide, faintly herbed in a great complexity. Excellent!
2017 Morey St.Denis 1er Les Ruchots
Ooh – that’s deep and darkly fruited – no reduction here to exacerbate! Fresh, big, more transparent. Waves of growing intensity. Maybe even better than the Chezeaux!
2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Noirots
Normally three barrels
Deep but that floral-fruit Chambolle thing is going on here. More muscle, fresh, super defined muscle, long, fading oh so slowly. I think i prefer the Ruchots but i could get to love this…
2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Sentiers
Hmm, the first with a little salinity on the nose. Muscular but open, a wine that almost suggests grand cru in its shape, but there’s a hint of herbal too that you probably wouldn’t see in a gc – but I’m splitting hairs. This is a super wine.
2017 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Les Combottes
One part here is 95 years old.
Ooh – not a full nose but one of weight and of fine, simmering, complex red fruit. Structured, weighted, lots of volume, growing complexity, this has the potential for excellent, maybe even better – super wine.
2017 Charmes-Chambertin
Hmm – wide, cushioned yet just a little tight. Supple, fresh, layered and with good energy too. This is excellent stuff. Tension, a little strict. Excellent…
This is open, deep, complex, perhaps with a reductive accent. Yes in the mouth too, but gorgeously textured, layered, complex wine – this is great – bravo. Such great length…
Ooh the most florally open of all the wines so far – an incomparable invitation! Silky, mobile, supple, layers of flavour melting over the palate – less structural than the Clos de la Roche but with more of everything else – so different, so good! Almost a surprise that there’s a touch of finishing tannin.
From the Chambolle side, including vines in both terres-blanches and terres-rouges. ‘A climat that struggles more than most when the weather is hot and dry. Here we have the best results from ploughing with a horse – we’ve been doing it here for 15 years – it allows us to capture late August rains much better than before.’
Good energy and width, starting a hint lactic, swirling makes the wine purer and purer – and more inviting too. More structure but nothing sharp or austere, energy plus great flavour. This is a super rendition of energy but depth of flavour too. Great – like the Clos St.Denis with a sneaky tannin right at the end.