Today’s Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is, as you might have guessed, the kind of wine that isn’t so much “sold” to us as it is “allocated” to us. Put another way, it’s a wine that’s so rare and so good that they don’t ask us how much we want to buy—they tell us how much we can have.
I’m glad to have gotten what little we did for today’s offer, but if any more turns up, you can be sure I’ll jump on it: Within the world of elite, Grand Cru red Burgundy, this wine remains an exceptional, circle-the-release-date-on-your-calendar kind of value. Following in the sleek, supple footsteps of the 2016 vintage, today’s 2017 is the kind of wine that turns the ‘Burgundy-curious’ drinker into a full-blown fanatic. As many of you know, that can lead to a very expensive habit, but Cyprien Arlaud’s Charmes-Chambertin is a splurge that is still well short of the stratosphere. Charmes-Chambertin is the largest of the Gevrey-Chambertin Grand Crus at 28 hectares, and as such there is a who’s-who of Burgundy’s best bottling wines from the site. Thanks to meticulous biodynamic farming and a gentle touch in the cellar, Arlaud has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in this legendary cru—and the price has somehow remained stable despite the ever-growing reputation of the property. We can offer up to three bottles per customer today, so if you’re looking to make a shrewd Burgundy investment, have at it!
Charmes-Chambertin produces perhaps the most elegant wines of Gevrey-Chambertin’s Grand Cru vineyards, and Domaine Arlaud’s sliver of it 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 (more specifically still, Domaine Leroy’s piece of Latricières, from which they make a wine costing $1,500-$2,000 a bottle, if you can find it). The Arlaud vines on Charmes-Chambertin are divided into three parts—one section of 80+-year-old vines; one of 50+-year-old vines; and one of 25+-year-old vines—which are vinified separately. The wine is aged in only 30% new barrels and typically incorporates around 30% whole grape clusters in the fermentation, depending on the vintage.
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 ploughed 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?!
Cyprien’s approach in the cellar is described as “non-interventionist.” His cold cave, located in the village of Morey-St-Denis, enables him to minimize his use of sulfur, and his wines undergo very long, slow fermentations started only with native yeasts. The common thread across the Arlaud range is a high-toned refinement, even among the wines hailing from Gevrey-Charmbertin, which is traditionally known for woodsier, more broad-shouldered Burgundies. Arlaud’s Gevreys often have some of the perfume of great Morey-St-Denis or Chambolle-Musigny, while on the palate I’m brought back to the firm structure and darker fruit of Gevrey. In the glass, it’s a brilliant ruby-red with violet reflections, with highly perfumed aromas of wild strawberries; black raspberries; rose petals; white pepper; and that sous bois forest-floor/undergrowth note that outs it as top-flight red Burgundy. It starts out with glycerol-rich, perfumed, sweet red fruit, utterly delicious and charming, then firms up with some silty Gevrey tannin and crushed-stone minerality. Medium-plus in body and boasting a long, penetratingly aromatic finish, this is quite drinkable in its youth, but I’m really looking forward to revisiting it in 7-10 years. If you do open one now, decant it at least an hour before serving in Burgundy stems at 60-65 degrees. Although it’ll sing with all the beefy Burgundy classics, I could also see it alongside a red wine-friendly seafood preparation. The attached should be just the ticket. Enjoy!
