Domaine De L'Arlot Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Rouge Clos Des Forêts Saint Georges 2017
This super red Burgundy opens up with spicy blackcurrant aromas with some hints of chocolate behind. It has the silky character of many of the 2017 wines and is medium bodied, well balanced and generously fruited.On the palate it is long and has a full finish. Good for drinking now but it will repay good cellaring for a decade or two.
- Country: France
- Region: Burgundy
- Subregion: Côte De Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges
- Vintage: 2017
- Colour: Red
- Grape Variety: Pinot Noir
- ABV: 13.5%
- Bottle Size: 75cl
- Closure: Natural cork
- Style: Proper red Burgundy
- Drink With: Duck or feathered game
In Burgundy a monopole is a specific vineyard, a terroir which has been perfectly defined for centuries and which is owned by a single proprietor. Domaine De L'Arlot's Clos Des Forêts Saint Georges covers an area of 7.20 hectares and its privileged location has made it one of the greatest Nuits Saint Georges wines.
About the grower
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!