Tasted in Premeaux with Géraldine Godot, 27 November, 2018.
Domaine de L’Arlot
Premeaux
21700 Nuits-Saint-Georges
Tel: +33 3 80 61 01 92
www.arlot.com
Géraldine on 2018:
“2018 confirmed 2017, it’s a nice vintage for both volume and quality. The climate was positive for the harvest – it’s a vintage without doubt that was very dry and very warm, here in Premeaux we had the hail twice though, but there was good in the bad because the extra rain that we had was a horror to try to work in the vines as everything was so wet but the rain was also a benefit because we had ripe grapes without the stress of dryness or any lack of maturity – in fact analytically everything was better than 2017 – plus we made more than in 2017, though we expected the half, I really thought it could be a morose harvest, but it was quite the reverse! Malos already done – there wasn’t much malic acid!”
Géraldine on 2017:
“2017 – the start was work – oof! Twice! Yet it was a tranquil vintage, a touch of hail but not frost – serene compared to 2016. We had good surprises in some parcels. Was very hard to estimate the date for starting the harvest, at the end of August there was still a lot of acidity, in the end I though we took a good compromise between the acidity and the maturity. The colours were very soft and we were expecting something more like 15 or 16. The elevage was of the highest importance, I think that these are wines that were built during elevage – they are not big, but they are fine and have class. I think the true connoisseurs will enjoy these wines more than the 15s or 16s. ”
The wines…
Jokingly, as we tasted, I asked Géraldine ‘Where are the tannins of Premeaux?‘ Fortunately she recognised the attempted whit behind my question but still answered well “Wine does not have to be about power – you can have concentration with class too, but you also need refreshment.” And that is exactly what she has delivered. These wines were in a very elegant style but they were quite the most beautiful that I tasted in my whole November visiting schedule. Bravo!
“Made the first bottling in August, because maturity was high and we had plenty of volume, I didn’t want heavy wines and so I wanted to be prudent with the use of whole clusters, so there’s a little more than in 2015 and 2016.”
2017 Hautes Côtes de Nuits Le Mont
The same parcel as for the whites.
Quite good colour. Nice volume, an open nose, showing a little whole cluster. Nice volume in the mouth, open like the nose – growing intensity of flavour – this is a well-constructed and delicious wine, creamy in the finish. Wait a couple of years for this.
2017 Côte de Nuits Villages Clos du Chapeau
A 1.6 hectare plot in Comblanchien. Also bottled end of August, just before the harvest.
Maybe a little less colour. A similar nose but with a hint more intensity of aroma. Similarly open but a touch more depth to the concentration a suggestion of reduction, but really an open style again, beautifully textured, faintly saline with attractive bitters in the finish. Already nearly drinking.
All the following are barrel samples taken today:
2017 Nuits St.Georges 1er ‘Mont des Oiseau’
Almost a tiny almond and reduction to the aromatic ensemble. Great volume but with depth of texture and concentration, tiny, tiny grains of ripe tannin. Deliciously flavoured finishing notes – ooh that’s good!
The vines now average over 70 years – marl is a characteristic of the clos.
Here is an extra spice to the nose – plenty of depth too – very inviting. Round, mouth-filling velvet-fine tannin, extra depth of flavour perfect energy – ooh – a great Arlot this year – bravo!
A relatively massive vineyard monopoly of 7.2 hectares – it’s half of the domaine – with three distinct soil types, all harvested and vinified separately.
Ooh – an extra floral dimension to this nose. A touch of reduction, but like the others – architecturally open – beautiful texture for Premeaux, small finishing waves of flavour. Great again – I simply adore this style – and there’s an interesting little reprise of flavour in the finish.
3k bottles – about 1 hectare worth – ‘There are always 6 cuvées of Forets that have separate elevage. Sometimes there are cuvées that taste different and sometimes there are cuvées that really distinguish themselves’ – this was the case – it’s not a particular area as there are vines from both sides of the clos represented here.
A more direct and saline nose, slowly adding a little spice too. Not quite as large as the last but more vibrant, more energy, not a big impact, still über-elegant, but the energy is different – and completely delicious. The tannin is very fine and I have to say almost an afterthought. Absolutely delicious.
2017 Vosne-Romanée 1er Les Suchots
From 0.85 hectares at the border of Richebourg, vines planted in 45, 50 and 87.
Another very fine nose – beautifully wide though showing a tighter depth today – slowly becoming rounder and more rose-floral. A little more force behind the volume, the shape in the mouth. Not the energy of the last but still plenty – different, still a soft hand on the palate. A long and very fine finish…
From 24 rows of vines that face Romanée-Conti and run only half-way to the village.
A nose that requires tempting from the glass, but it’s worth the effort – there’s less volume of aroma than for many but with exquisitely fine and precise flowers and fruit. Extra volume, full of energy, a little extra grain of tannin but therein is more energy and more flavour complexity too. Ooh this is really great – the price of such wines has frankly outgrown what they put in your glass – but there is still some discussion to be had here – this wine is soooo good – bravo!
Les Blancs:
All whites sealed with natural cork – though ‘extra!’
2017 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc
From just above the Clos des Forêts. This bottled also at the end of August.
Ooh that’s a big, forward and attractive nose with a suggestion, only that, of reduction. Supple, some richness to the texture but like the reds open and accessible. Widens in the finish with a little textural grain of tannin from the phenolics.
2017 Côte de Nuits Villages Aux Lurets
Also bottled end of August
Wider, less deep, I would say a finer nose of faint ripe citrus and a certain base that is slightly spiced. Supple again, less overt concentration, more mineral but a fine texture coats the structure. Mouth-watering, delicious in the finish, touched again with tannin. Lovely…
2017 Nuits St.Georges La Gerbotte Blanc
Now 20 years-old, forming the southern part of the Clos l’Arlot – next to the Clos Marechale. 30cm of soil here over a ‘huge plate of limestone.’ Sample from tank, should be bottled before the Christmas holidays.
Ooh – fresh and floral – a suggestion of minerality below. Full, but open, clarity to the flavour – a certain extra precision. Juicy finishing. Wait for a little oak impression to fade – 2 years (?) but super.
2017 Nuits St.Georges 1er Clos l’Arlot Blanc
Actually a mix of La Gerbotte and others in the Clos l’Arlot – Gerbotte being the coolest location – temperature-wise! Like the last in tank for (pre) Christmas bottling.
Like the last – fresh and floral – slowly adding a clarity of depth to the nose. Volume but still a slightly compact impression – there’s concentration here – well-covered minerality. Extra finishing complexity, less directly juicy but there is certainly more here – I usually like this after 5+ years, this seems to have a precocious attractiveness though!