Domaine de l'Arlot 2007

The vintage

The year remains marked by unusual weather, with a mild winter and above all a warm, dry spring. After 15 May, the weather turned cold and damp. Fortunately, the sun returned in September.

Harvest: the harvest of the Pinot Noir began on 31 August in sunshine. Paradoxically, the Chardonnay was harvested last. By 9 September all the grapes were in the vat house.

A delicate sanitary condition led to drastic sorting; this very rigorous selection made it possible to achieve fine quality. Yields were average.

Winemaking

The choice of demanding standards: only grapes from the oldest vines go into the Clos des Forêts Saint Georges cuvée. The aim is to make the most of an exceptional terroir, as old vines give deeper, more intense wines. As a result, the young vines of this clos do not go into the grand cuvée. They are vinified separately and marketed under the Les Petits Plets Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru label.

A traditional vinification: hand harvest, minimalist vatting, pumping over without excess... Letting things take their natural course to reveal the soul of the wine is the method adopted to bring the wine into being.

A wine for ageing: the generous terroir of Forêts Saint Georges shapes the soul of this wine. It builds a solid red around well-present tannins that define a wine for ageing. A few years in the cellar allow it to open up; age makes it more graceful, silkier and more accomplished.

Food pairings

This racy red deserves great red meats. Rib of beef slowly cooked over embers is the obvious choice, but one can also think of a pepper fillet, a rack of lamb with herbs or a duck magret with mild spices. These suggestions are given as a guide, as a springboard for your gustatory imagination.

Terroir

In Burgundy, a monopole defines a land unit, a terroir precisely defined for centuries and belonging to a single owner. The Clos des Forêts Saint Georges covers an area of 7.20 hectares in a single block. A unique terroir and a privileged situation have shaped, since the very beginning, one of the great wines of Nuits Saint Georges.