Domaine de l'Arlot

Harvest Report 2014

“For Arlot, conditions were generally favourable: early and sunny spring (though there was an episode of hail on the 28th at Vosne); summer was mixed (from the end of July to the end of August there was rain and some relatively cool weather).

But the famous wind from the north in the month of September that has saved many harvests in Burgundy was there on time in 2014! With a very dry sunny weather, not too hot, we had good conditions for finishing the ripening of the grapes. This north wind was also favourable to an important concentration in the grapes, and the bunches which were swollen and shiny at the end of August took on a different and more favourable aspect, matt and concentrated.

Date of the harvest:

We harvested in two phases this year in order to profit to the maximum from the wonderful conditions for ripening.
The whites were harvested the 11th and 12th September.
Then after a two day pause we brought in our reds from the 15th to the 20th of September, under a radiant sunshine, apart from a short rainy episode on the 19th September.

The harvest:
A good harvest, significantly more than in 2012 and 2013, although still a little lower than a “normal” year: our average yield over the whole domaine was 30hl/ha.
The quality of the white grapes was excellent: very healthy grapes, golden yellow and aromatic, though with fairly low amount of juice in relation to the rest of the harvest.
The Pinot Noirs had suffered the most from the summer conditions: there were a few appearances of Botrytis, but which were dried and stabilized by the excellent conditions of the month of September.
The level of millerandage was average, and essentially present in our old vines.
The analytic parameters of sugar and acidity were good, with natural degrees between 12.5 and 13.2, in white and reds.

The fermentations:
The fermentations began this year fairly quickly, but took place in a harmonious and regular fashion.
The reds remained in vat between 15 and 18 days.
At decuvage and after some days in barrels, the wines already showed complex and smooth aromas. In the mouth there is good matter, and the textures are sweet. These are wines that offer great depth and sensuality. We are headed for a very lovely vintage, but we will know more after the malolactic fermentations, probably in spring 2015.
For the whites, the alcoholic fermentations are not yet finished. One notices already a very lovely freshness, purity and rigour. En bouche they are well constructed, around an energetic frame. But even more than with the reds, we will have to be patient, and wait for the end of the fermentations.

To conclude:
2014 which began very early and looked like it would be very advanced, in fact slowed down its progress in August, only to finish in excellent conditions in September. The wines should be of a very high level.
The quantities we produced after several years of very low harvests are (almost) normal.”

Domaine de l'Arlot is first of all a place which symbolizes the influence of a way of life. Its strong identity reflects a long history of wines and the obvious wish to share the pleasure in them.

A fabulous park
François Vienot, Jean-Charles' son, had dreamed of a remarkable park in the hollow of an old quarry. Today, hundred-year-old trees, with light filtering through the leaves, and stones which were sculpted by numerous artists at the request of Jules Belin, make this a fabulous theatrical place and a delightful contrast to the strictness of the rows of vines.

The domaine's recent history remains marked by the influence of Jean-Pierre de Smet who ran the domaine for almost two decades. In January 2007, Jean-Pierre withdrew from the Domaine. Christian Seely takes over as Managing Director with Olivier Leriche as Technical Director. In August 2011, Jacques Devauges joins the Domaine, to continue the work of his predecessors, to bring out and highlight the exceptional viticultural heritage of Domaine de l'Arlot.

Vines cultivated using Biodynamics
An organic vineyard since 2000, we adopted the principles of biodynamics in 2003 and have now extended this policy to all of Domaine de l'Arlot's vineyards. It is a question of changing how we look at the way vines are cultivated by relearning old methods. To abandon the use of chemical fertilizers and products of synthesis: life can get started again. The vine-plant is the centre of a natural balance. It develops in an environment which enables it to bear grapes full of taste and characteristics specific to the plot. The results are evident: it is the best way of enabling the truth of the terroirs to be expressed.

Natural winemaking
The basic rule of winemaking at Domaine de l'Arlot is to intervene at just the right moments, and as little as possible in the birth of the wine. When it is time to harvest, the bunches are picked by hand, the grapes are sorted twice, on the vines and when they arrive at the vathouse, to ensure that only the best grapes are kept. In the cellar, everything is done by gravity. The vinification of the reds is partly done using "whole bunches" which contributes to the elegance of the wines. The method used during maceration is to let the terroirs speak for themselves, and extract delicately. The cap is punched by hand and the pumping over of the must is always kept to a minimum.

Watching over the raising of the wines
The wish to express the truth of the terroirs also means a particular way of looking at the elevage of the wines. To control the origin of the staves and the making of the casks, the Domaine de l'Arlot has initiated an original approach. It calls upon a wood dealer who buys oaks in the best forests and cuts them into staves. The wood ages in the open air on the domaine, in all weathers. After 2 to 3 years, the oak is delivered to a cooper who makes the casks according to a very precise schedule of conditions. This way, the heating of the staves, which enable them to curve, is requested to be "very light" to "light" to preserve the taste of the wine.