Making exceptional Pinot Noir in Burgundy is hard enough but the stakes rocket skyward when it comes from a slice of vines within the storied Grand Cru of “Charmes-Chambertin.” Unquestionably one of the world’s most famous Pinot vineyards, anyone with this designation on their label is part of a very exclusive club of producers. I’m talking legends like Roumier, Rousseau, Dugat-Py, Dujac, and Bachelet, all of which charge multiples more than Domaine Arlaud’s bottling on offer today.
But instead of simply embracing the presence of these blue bloods, Cyprien Arlaud looks to surpass them in the vineyard: By holding both organic and biodynamic certifications—the very first to do so in his home village—his Grand Cru creations have become highly covetable, extremely age-worthy Pinot Noirs of transparency, purity, and majesty. They are also painfully limited to such an extent that we cannot ask for our desired quantity, rather, we are told how much (or little) we can have. And with today’s 2019 release, that translates to no more than three bottles per person. Note: This is for dedicated Burgundy collectors who have the patience and fortitude to keep cellaring it for no less than three years. The payoff will be massive, I promise.
Domaine Arlaud began with the WWII-era marriage of Joseph Arlaud to Renée Amiot, whose family owned several prime Burgundy vineyards, including pieces of the Clos St. Denis and Bonnes Mares Grand Crus. Joseph’s son Hervé followed, expanding the domaine’s holdings further, then in 1997 it was Hervé’s son Cyprien’s turn to run the show. Perhaps the hallmark achievement of Cyprien’s tenure has been his conversion of the domaine to biodynamic farming (certified in 2014). His cherished vineyards are plowed by horse, and as one of Arlaud’s importers has noted, Cyprien’s sister, Bertille, has become “one of the most important horse-ploughers in France.” How’s that for a credential?!
Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus. As such, there is a who’s who of Burgundy’s best bottlings from the site, and thanks to meticulous biodynamic farming and a gentle touch in the cellar, Arlaud has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Charmes-Chambertin produces perhaps the most elegant wines of Gevrey-Chambertin’s cluster of Grand Crus, and Domaine Arlaud’s sliver is particularly choice: It sits at the highest section of the ‘Mazoyères’ portion of Charmes, just across the road from the start of the Latricières portion. His parcels are split between vines with 30 years of age and 50+, and the fruit from each is vinified naturally and separately with a small portion of whole clusters left intact. The resulting wine is then aged in French barrels, typically no more than 30% new, and is bottled unfined and unfiltered in accordance with the lunar calendar.
Cyprien’s approach in the cellar is described as “non-interventionist” which can result in some reductive, high-strung wines in their youth. Like many young Grand Crus, today’s 2019 Charmes-Chambertin is not meant for stardom right now, but its perfume, purity, and fine structure all point to one thing: This is destined for greatness. Arlaud’s top Gevrey bottlings often have some of the perfume of great Morey-Saint-Denis or Chambolle-Musigny, while the palate brings me back to the firmer, darker profile of Chambertin. In the glass, today’s 2019 reveals a vibrant ruby-purple with perfumed aromas of wild strawberries, black raspberry preserve, sappy cherry, plum skin, violet, white pepper, sous bois, forest floor, and finely crushed minerals that outs it as top-flight red Burgundy. I hesitate to further describe this wine because a genuine collector won’t dare touch it until it’s further evolved, around 2025-2029, and by then it will provide an entirely new (think supple and savory) drinking experience. If you absolutely must open one now, decant it no less than two hours before serving in Burgundy stems at 60 degrees. Please, though, stow your others deep away and forget they exist. Cheers!
