Tasted in Premeaux with Géraldine Godot, 20 November, 2020.
Domaine de L’Arlot
Premeaux
21700 Nuits-Saint-Georges
Tel: +33 3 80 61 01 92
www.arlot.com
More reports for Domaine de l’Arlot
Géraldine on 2020:
“We started and finished in August – 22-30 harvested – the first time the domaine has finished its harvest in August. The season got underway very early in easy, nice, weather. We had a few punctual rains which worked well until the mid-summer where we lacked a little rain. This year the pinot was ready before the chardonnay. We had very modest yields – on average 23 hl/ha for the domaine. From all that you might think heavy wines but impressively not, the balance is super we have very good acidities. I think the profile is really excellent, the colours developed very quickly but the aromas and flavours are of small fruits not overripe – they are very attractive.”
Géraldine on 2019:
“Also a hot year but we harvested about 3 weeks later than in 2020. Because of the heat we started harvesting at 5am most days, this wasn’t really necessary in 2020. We started in the chardonnays in 2019. I used plenty of whole clusters in this vintage. I wasn’t happy with the taste of the grapes after a couple of episodes of hail in 2018 so wasn’t really happy to use the stems in that vintage, but the confidence was back in 2019. Historically, we get about 900 mm of rain per year, but it’s been more like 5-600 in the last years. Now, instead of being a mere detail, 20mm here but not there, makes a much larger difference. ”
The wines…
First-class wines in 2019 – much to covet here – usually a firm favourite of mine and most-definitely-so in 2019.
All whites sealed with natural cork – though ‘extra!’ The bottlings are planned to start in early in December.
2019 Hautes Côtes de Nuits Le Mont
The same parcel as for the whites. Young vines, not much more than 10 years old – but that’s older than the HCDN blanc. This has been racked.
Plenty of colour. A deep dark nose – it’s not really opening much. In the mouth we have ripe fruit, plenty of width, slowly it widens more, more elegance in the middle and even more in the finish – some grain of tannin but that’s a super finish.
2019 Côte de Nuits Villages Clos du Chapeau
A 1.6 hectare plot in Comblanchien. Bottle end August
A little more open, showing some of the wc spice. More direct, a density of flavour for sure but this is cooler in style, more intense finishing and slowly widening to become more floral finishing too. The last notes are completely delicious.
2019 Nuits St.Georges 1er ‘Mont des Oiseau’
Middle of Clos Forets but young vines of 10-15 years old.
Ooh – that’s a beguiling, still dense but very attractive nose. Extra silk, more open despite impressive concentration. I love the width of complex flavour here, framed with tannin, but hardly any dryness or grain. Long finishing. This is really excellent.
The vines now average over 70 years – marl is a characteristic of the clos.
A deeper nose, more spice from the whole cluster but so elegant at the same time – really impressive wine. Cool, wide, the texture almost consumed by the rest of the wine – so smooth. There is power here though, slowly mouth-watering finish – a vin-de-garde for sure but already with some approachability by dint of the finesse. Great l’Arlot.
From 0.85 hectares at the border of Richebourg, vines planted in 45, 50 and 87. Only half the volume believe there may have been some effect from frost – it’s the only explanation they have.
Not the depth of the Arlot but a much, much finer width – that’s very sophisticated indeed. In the mouth too – this plays over the palate, mobile, complex, some wc flavour, super texture, just occasionally with a reminder of the structure. Great Suchots – one of the best I ever tasted here. The finish is broad and persistent – class in a glass – 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.
What colour! Almost saturated. A faint spice – tighter aromatically than the previous two wines – a partly hidden but vibrant impression from the supporting fruit. Extra tannin but no grain – and virtually no dryness either – not quite juicy but still very mouth-watering. The density of flavour slowly giving up its complexity. Great Forets but for 15 years in the future… Wide finishing.
2019 Romanée Saint-Vivant
From 24 rows of vines that face Romanée-Conti and run only half-way to the village.
Deeply coloured again. There’s an extra silk to the nose here, less communicative vs the suchots or arlot but certainly with sophistication. Mouth-filling, there is a presence here, cool fruited, an occasional tannic accent but with zero grain. Concentration but never heavy. The sense of a complete wine but only really in the finish showing extra distinction today vs the Suchots. There’s no austerity here it’s simply excellent but it will need time to open and show more. I’d definitely take a glass of the Suchots today in preference, but I doubt that it will remain so…
Les Blancs
All the whites are in tank and will be bottled, starting, in another two weeks – same as the first two reds:
2019 Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Nuits Blanc Le Monts
From just above the Clos des Forêts. Bottled.
There is a lovely depth and freshness to this stony chardonnay – that’s a fine aromatic invitation. Mouthfilling, quite good energy, and nice shape in the mouth. A growing well of sweet and wide ripe flavour – the finish is very delicious. That’s a fine Bourgogne!
2019 Côte de Nuits Villages Aux Leurey Blanc
A more delicate nose, more green fruit, almost lime in style. Extra energy and a more citrus style to the fruit too. That’s a lovely width, with the tactile touch of some tannin – I like this very much. Excellent wine.
2019 Nuits St.Georges La Gerbotte Blanc
Now 22 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.’
A little more depth of aroma, nice clarity here, though less wide than the previous. A little extra sweetness but the wine remains nicely mouth-watering. Long slow waves of finishing flavour here – quite contemplative despite the good freshness. More a wine to think about – very tasty too.
Actually a mix of La Gerbotte and others in the Clos l’Arlot – Gerbotte being the coolest location – temperature-wise!
A narrower but deep nose with some higher tones too – a vertical nose – and a very attractive one. More zip, more energy but also combined with an open, mouth-filling concentration. Here the finish is quite an intense and linear line into the distance – it holds a super line and for so long too! This will be a great l’Arlot – as always I think they only start to really take off and showcase the special minerality here from 8-10years of age.