Domaine de l'Arlot 2012

Tasting

Deep, garnet-red colour. A powerful, wild bouquet. Concentrated and complex, it offers a plethora of rich aromas dominated by spices, fresh red berries and hints of mature rose bush. On the palate, the attack is dominated by the sparkle and freshness of the aromas, while the energy and vigour of the tannins come into their own in the mid-palate, paving the way for a suave, elegant finish. Excellent length of flavour, promises to age very well indeed. These disparate sensations combine to form a coherent ensemble, a fine expression of the Clos des Forêts terroir, which stretches from the hilltop down to the bottom: the complexity of this cru can be attributed to the successive layers of limestone which make up the subsoil of the Nuits Saint Georges hillside. 05/2014

The vintage

It was a mild winter apart from February, which had two very cold weeks. It was very wet from April to July generating significant blossom drop. Fine, sunny weather from mid-August until harvest.

Harvest: from 20 to 28 September 2012

Blossom drop in June meant that much of the harvest was lost, but the remaining grapes were particularly fine: clusters were small with thick-skinned grapes bursting with aromas. Excellent maturity and grape soundness.

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.