Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux: Tasting the 2017s

The 14.5ha Arnoux-Lachaux estate is based in Vosne-Romanée, but also owns vineyards in other Côte de Nuits appellations, particularly Nuits-St-Georges. It has holdings in four grands crus, two being Clos de Vougeot and Latricières-Chambertin.

The estate was founded in 1858 as Domaine Robert Arnoux and has remained in family hands ever since. In 1987, Florence Arnoux married Pascal Lachaux, a former pharmacist, and so the estate adopted its current double-barreled name.

Pascal ran the estate until 2015, when he handed the reins over entirely to his thoughtful son Charles, who had been working at the domaine since 2011.

This was a brave move, as Charles has very different ideas from his father’s: Pascal’s wines were of high quality but he was not restrained in his use of new oak, which was well-handled but perceptible. Charles has certainly cut back, using a maximum of 20% for his premiers crus and 30% for his grands crus, however he uses a higher proportion of whole clusters during fermentation – a pragmatic rather than dogmatic choice.

Perhaps more importantly, Charles focusses most of his energies on the vineyard – he pays tribute to Lalou Bize-Leroy as his mentor. Treatments are essentially organic and certification will eventually take place, and he has made changes to the pruning and canopy management that may sound technical but can have a major influence on quality.

Yields, according to Charles, are generally 30-40% lower than the authorised maximums, and he is doubling the planting density in a parcel within Reignots – though this is really just an experiment at this stage.

Tasting the 2017s

The recent tasting in London, hosted by UK importers Corney & Barrow, focussed on the 2017 wines, which were bottled in December.

Although this was, by Burgundian standards, a generous vintage, yields were moderate. Charles’s own imprint is greatly in evidence. Whereas his father’s wines had been powerful and oaky, these show more intensity and refinement. They are less overt and flashy than in the past, but have a fine combination of ethereal delicacy and grip.

There seems little doubt that they will age very well. Even the Bourgogne, produced from an exceptional selection of Pinot Noir known as Pinot Fin, has the balance and concentration to age in the medium term. The wines, especially now they are in the hands of a prestigious importer, do not come cheap, but the Lachaux family have never undervalued their own wines.

Arnoux-Lachaux 2017s (plus a couple of older gems):

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