Domaine de l'Arlot 2010

The vintage

A -19°C frost in December killed some vines and destroyed numerous buds. Cold rain during flowering caused substantial failure of bloom. Though the year began with this exceptional weather, the rest of the winegrowing season saw more classic conditions.

Harvest: started in sunshine on September 23rd and lasted until October 1st, classically beginning with the young vines and ending with the Clos des Forêts' old vines. Overall the state of the grapes was good, with small bunches and a high proportion of millerandage.

Good quality but quantities were very low! With the ups and downs in the weather, we talked about earlier, we recorded yields which were record-breakingly low.

Winemaking

An exacting commitment to quality: Clos des Forêts Saint Georges is only made with grapes from its oldest vines. We wish to express the very best of this exceptional terroir, and the old vines give darker, more intense wines. This means that grapes from the younger vines are not used for the Clos des Forêts but vinified separately to make Les Petits Plets Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru.

Traditional vinification: hand-picked grapes, minimal cuvaison, a light hand with the pumping-over... The method used to give birth to the wine is to let things happen naturally to reveal the soul of the wine.

A wine for ageing: the generous terroir of the Clos des Forêts Saint Georges forms the soul of the wine. It builds a solid red around well-present tannins which define a wine for ageing. A few years in the cellar will allow the wine to express itself more fully and make it more graceful, silkier and more complete.

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 the monopoly (single estate vineyard) defines a unit of land, a terroir which has been perfectly defined for centuries and which is owned by a single proprietor. The Clos des Forêts Saint Georges covers a surface of 7.20 hectares, all in one piece. It is a unique terroir in a privileged location which right from its origin has made one of the greatest Nuits Saint Georges wines.