Description
Domaine Arlaud, Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru
Charmes-Chambertin produces perhaps the most elegant wines of Gevrey-Chambertin’s Grand Cru vineyards, and Domaine Arlaud’s sliver of it is particularly choice: it sits at the highest section of the ‘Mazoyères’ portion of Charmes, just across the road from the start of the Latricières portion (more specifically still, Domaine Leroy’s piece of Latricières, from which they make a wine costing $1,500-$2,000 a bottle, if you can find it). The Arlaud vines on Charmes-Chambertin are divided into three parts—one section of 80+-year-old vines; one of 50+-year-old vines; and one of 25+-year-old vines—which are vinified separately. The wine is aged in only 30% new barrels and typically incorporates around 30% whole grape clusters in the fermentation, depending on the vintage.
In the glass, the 2020 is a brilliant ruby-red with violet reflections, with highly perfumed aromas of wild strawberries; black raspberries; rose petals; white pepper; and that ‘sous bois’ forest-floor/undergrowth note that outs it as top-flight red Burgundy. It starts out with glycerol-rich, perfumed, sweet red fruit, utterly delicious and charming, then firms up with some silty Gevrey tannin and crushed-stone minerality. Medium-plus in body and boasting a long, penetratingly aromatic finish, this is quite drinkable in its youth. Even after just a half-hour open we were amazed by its silken generosity, and I can only imagine how mind-blowing it’ll be 5-7 years from now.
