Domaine De L'Arlot

Domaine De L'Arlot was created by Jean-Pierre De Smet as recently as 1987, with financing from the insurance company AXA. Jean-Pierre was a disciple of Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac and he made wines at Domaine De L'Arlot in a similar vein. In fact, for a number of years both estates shared the same source of oak and jointly seasoned it before having a cooper make into barrels for them. De Smet retired in 2007, but the wines continue to be made in the same careful, long-lived manner overseen by the talented and passionate managing director Christian Seely.

As at Dujac, the grapes at Domaine De L'Arlot are not destemmed before fermentation and as a result the red wines can appear a little lighter in colour than those from other producers because the stalks absorb some of the pigment during fermentation. What the stems take in colour, they repay by creating greater complexity, elegant fragrance and silkier tannins. Domaine De L'Arlot wines have a purity, freshness and vibrancy to balance their structure and concentration of fruit.

One seldomly encountered treat that Domaine De L'Arlot specialises in producing is a white Nuits-Saint-Georges, made from an equally unusual blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Beurot (the local name for Pinot Gris). Although quite rare, this is a wine not to be missed when the opportunity arises. However, the same is true of any wine from this exceptional domaine!