Domaine Arlaud: What incredible wines…what fabulous people…I am just crazy about both and I am so excited that after a five-year absence, the Arlaud wines are back in the New York market and that Eli’s List will have them.
Just last week, during our annual trip to France and Italy, we stopped by to visit and taste. It was a grey, rainy evening in Burgundy, so the bright, warm welcome we received from Cyprien Arlaud was heartwarming. Cyprien is a charming, handsome young man who works closely with his father Herve and is primarily in charge of winemaking. And I think he is doing a fantastic job. He has greatly evolved since the last time I saw him. The wines we tasted spoke volumes about his evolution and their farming practices...they were quite amazing. The Bourgogne Rouge is so fragrant and pure that it can be compared to the premiers crus of lesser winemakers.
Even though Domaine Arlaud began in 1949, it is still considered a “young” domaine. Based in Morey-Saint Denis, it began as a wedding present to Joseph Arlaud and Renee Amiot when they married during the Second World War. In 1949, Joseph decided to start making wine.
His son, Herve extended the domaine in 1982 and it is currently 15 hectares extending over Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle Musigny and they will be adding more vines further south.
Until recently, all three of Herve's children were involved in the domaine. But much to Cyprien's chagrin, because he is such a team player, his brother, Romain, has left, and his sister Bertille is now only involved in the bookkeeping.
Both Cyprien and his father strongly believe in keeping the vineyard and wine-making processes as natural as possible. In this vein, they began ploughing the vineyards with horses a decade ago, at the insistence of Bertille, and most of the work is done by hand. “In order to get the better grapes from the vine, we have to find a good balance between its growing strength and the hands that shape it. That’s why we do most of the work by hand. It is easier to adapt our hands to the vine than adapt a machine to it,” says Cyprien.
The domaine has been biodynamic since 2009 and was certified so this year.
While the Arlaud wines are relatively unknown in the U.S., Florence Fabricant of the New York Times told me recently that she loves them!
You really don’t want to miss these wines...
Eli
2011 Bourgogne Rouge “Roncevie” $40
And at Eli's Table next door, we have the following older vintages:
2006 Gevrey-Chambertin $125
2005 Gevrey-Chambertin $125
2006 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru "Aux Cheseaux" $133
2004 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru "Aux Cheseaux" $135
2004 Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru "Les Ruchots" $160
2004 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru $210
By the glass:
2011 Bourgogne Rouge "Roncevie" $18
2006 Gevrey-Chambertin $28 ( Coravin )
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