2016 Domaine de l’Arlot Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de l’Arlot, Burgundy

The Clos de l’Arlot is the first Monopole at the heart of this Domaine. It is a site that sits on the steepest and narrowest part of the Côte d’Or and produces a far lighter, more ethereal wine than its significant other, Clos des Forêts. At this time, only 0.87 of a hectare of the Pinot portion from Clos de l’Arlot is utilised for the Grand Vin. The older vines in the Clos were planted between 1939 and 1951 on the steep concave slope of marly limestone historically known as ‘cadastre no. 15’. Although Clos de l’Arlot is labelled Nuits-Saint-Georges, it really doesn’t look like a typical Nuits at all. Its personality is much more Chambolle, reflecting the Premeaux terroir which is as good for white wines as it is for reds. The winemaking is effectively the same as the Forêts and this wine was fermented with 50% whole bunches and raised with 50% new oak. Just six barrels were made in 2016, so it’s definitely a case of quality over quantity: it’s a potent, deep rendition of the Clos with layered cherry and wild strawberry fruit hemmed in by sappy tannins. A powerful and intense example of this first class terroir.

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“The 2016 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos de l’Arlot was sampled from a preprepared blend of barrels. It includes 50% whole cluster fruit and the same percentage of new oak. It has a crisp, precise, wet stone-tinged bouquet with vivid Morello, redcurrant and crushed strawberry fruit. It is not a powerful bouquet but prioritizes precision. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin. The fruit is a mixture of black and red, but there's quite a conspicuous graphite element that flourishes on the finish. With impressive persistence in the mouth, this is a more masculine Clos de l’Arlot than previous years and will benefit from several years in bottle. Top notch.”