Arnoux-Lachaux
Every year there is a domaine that excites more than any other, a new name that seems to sparkle that much brighter, someone who intuition tells you is about to hit the big time. I experienced this feeling when Maxime Chuerlin took the reins at domaine Georges Noëllat, when Amélie Berthaut took over Domaine Denis Berthaut and when I first visited Pierre Duroché... This was a deeply impressive showing of 2017s where you can easily see the influence of Lalou Bize-Leroy. There is immense purity and panache, the use of whole bunches assiduous and carefully managed. The shorter maceration period means that Lachaux has to be prudent with respect to the percentage of whole bunch, so as not to obscure vineyard expression. He certainly achieved that this year with a raft of really fabulous, quite intellectual yet delicious wines. The good news is that the quality is evident throughout the range. Why not pick up a case of 2017 Bourgogne Pinot Fin to experience Lachaux’s style first-hand? Otherwise, seek out the stunning Vosne-Romanée Aux Reignots or les Suchots, maybe one of the best Clos Vougeots of the vintage, or the sublime Latricières-Chambertin. - Neal Martin, Vinous.
Charles Lachaux, Pascal’s son, took over from his father in 2012. The stakes are high when the wines that you are making are some of the rarest and most sought after in the world. In the case of Romanée Saint Vivant for Charles Lachaux, he only had one chance in 2012, as he only made a single barrel. Talk about pressure! Charles explained that harvest was so busy, that he didn’t have time to consider an undesirable outcome.
At Bowler, we’ve always been impressed when tasting at Arnoux-Lachaux and the wines have reached new heights since Charles joined his father. Today, Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux has 14.5 hectares some of the most prized vineyards in Vosne-Romanée and equally high-quality vineyards in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The vines average fifty years old and the oldest, Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos des Corvées Pagets, were planted in 1921. In 2010, Pascal purchased a vertical press, making Arnoux-Lachaux one of just a handful of wineries using this type of press in Burgundy. They prefer it to a pneumatic press because it presses very gently and extracts less. In 2012, Charles’s first year, they introduced some partial whole-cluster fermentation and pleased with the results, they used a higher proportion of whole-clusters in the 2013 and 2014 vintages. In general, the 1er cru wines have up to 55% whole-cluster and the grand cru up to 100%. The amount of new oak has been reduced since 2012 as well: a total of 20-25% on village wines, 40-45% on premier cru and a maximum of 80% on grand cru.
Charles is also changing how he is working in the vineyards and is touching each vine. In his top sites, inspired by Lalou Bize-Leroy, he has stopped hedging his vines. This allows for more photosynthesis, getting more energy to each grape. The wines have an incredible energy, and elegance, and are some of the best expressions of Vosne and Nuits available.
Image | PRODUCT | Description |
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![]() DB0413-17 Sustainable |
Bourgogne Pinot Fin 2017 |
Pinot Noir Pinot Fin is an ancient clone of Pinot Noir that is very rarely found anymore in Burgundy. It has small berries. Arnoux's fruit is a blend... Read More |
![]() DB0414-17 |
Chambolle-Musigny 2017 |
Pinot Noir This wine is the result of a blend of five different blocks all located at the top of Chambolle’s slopes. They have of a north-east... Read More |
![]() DB0426-17 Sustainable |
Echézeaux 2017 |
Pinot Noir The vineyard is situated in the lieu dit Rouges du bas, a parcel of just under one hectare situated in the heart of the Echézeaux... Read More |
![]() DB0426-14 Sustainable |
Echézeaux 2014 |
Pinot Noir The vineyard is situated in the lieu dit Rouges du bas, a parcel of just under one hectare situated in the heart of the Echézeaux... Read More |
![]() DB0427-17 |
Latricières-Chambertin 2017 |
Pinot Noir This vineyard is located at the very top of the Latricières apellation. Bordered by woods on three sides, with a very rocky soil, this half... Read More |
![]() DB0427-14 |
Latricières-Chambertin 2014 |
Pinot Noir This vineyard is located at the very top of the Latricières apellation. Bordered by woods on three sides, with a very rocky soil, this half... Read More |
![]() DB0427-13 Sustainable |
Latricières-Chambertin 2013 |
Pinot Noir This vineyard is located at the very top of the Latricières apellation. Bordered by woods on three sides, with a very rocky soil, this half... Read More |
![]() DB0415-17 Sustainable |
Nuits-Saint-Georges 2017 |
Pinot Noir A blend of seven different vineyards located north of Nuits-Saint-Georges (towards Vosne-Romanée). The vines average 50 years old. Vinified... Read More |
![]() DB0415-16 Sustainable |
Nuits-Saint-Georges 2016 |
Pinot Noir A blend of seven different vineyards located north of Nuits-Saint-Georges (towards Vosne-Romanée). The vines average 50 years old. Vinified... Read More |
![]() DB0416-17 Sustainable |
Nuits-Saint-Georges "Les Poisets" 2017 |
Pinot Noir The grapes come from a single vineyard located between Premeaux-Prissey and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The domaine bottles this vineyard... Read More |
![]() DB0416-15 Sustainable |
Nuits-Saint-Georges "Les Poisets" 2015 |
Pinot Noir The grapes come from a single vineyard located between Premeaux-Prissey and Nuits-Saint-Georges. The domaine bottles this vineyard... Read More |
![]() DB0428-17 Sustainable |
Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2017 |
Pinot Noir This 1/3 hectare vineyard is located at the very south of the appellation, at a fifty meters distance from Romanée-Conti. The block is... Read More |
![]() DB0428-16 Sustainable |
Romanée-Saint-Vivant 2016 |
Pinot Noir This 1/3 hectare vineyard is located at the very south of the appellation, at a fifty meters distance from Romanée-Conti. The block is... Read More |
![]() DB0417-17 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée 2017 |
Pinot Noir The wine is made from a blend of several different vineyards: Les Communes, Les Saules and Les Bossières. The soils of these parcels are... Read More |
![]() DB0417-16 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée 2016 |
Pinot Noir The wine is made from a blend of several different vineyards: Les Communes, Les Saules and Les Bossières. The soils of these parcels are... Read More |
![]() DB0419-17 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée "Les Hautes Maizières" 2017 |
Pinot Noir Les Maizières is a vineyard of just over half a hectare, located on the south side of the Clos Vougeoy, just behind the walls. The average... Read More |
![]() DB0419-16 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée "Les Hautes Maizières" 2016 |
Pinot Noir Les Maizières is a vineyard of just over half a hectare, located on the south side of the Clos Vougeoy, just behind the walls. The average... Read More |
![]() DB0424-17 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru les Suchots 2017 |
Pinot Noir This vineyard is less than half a hectare in an exceptional spot, circled by Romanée-Saint-Vivant and the Richebourg to the south, and by... Read More |
![]() DB0422-17 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru aux Reignots 2017 |
Pinot Noir |
![]() DB0423-17 Sustainable |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru les Chaumes 2017 |
Pinot Noir The vineyard is just below Malconsorts and La Tache. Arnoux-Lachaux's covers the top of the hill to bottom, giving complexity and a true... Read More |
![]() DB0423-14 Sustainable 91-93 VM |
Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru les Chaumes 2014 |
Pinot Noir The vineyard is just below Malconsorts and La Tache. Arnoux-Lachaux's covers the top of the hill to bottom, giving complexity and a true... Read More |