Domaine de l'Arlot
About Domaine de l'Arlot
Technically created as recently as 1987 following the acquisition of all current holdings by AXA-Millésimes, the addition of Domaine de l’Arlot was one of the greatest decisions made by the giant company, whose small but impressive portfolio delivers consistently excellent wines under the auspice of the general head of vinous affairs Christian Seely.
More specifically, Domaine de l’Arlot has found its groove following the appointment of tremendously talented Géraldine Godot, who has more than once made bold decisions in both vineyards and wineries to produce the absolute best wines she deems possible. Having replaced Jacques Desvauges, now of Clos de Tart, Godot was given the mandate to make sweeping stylistic manoeuvres such as 100% whole-bunch fermentation in some cuvées and 100% destemmed in others.
Currently composed of 14 hectares, the original Domaine de l’Arlot covered three monopoles. Their Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru “Clos des Forêts Saint-Georges" is generally considered to be not only this Domaine’s top bottling but one of the most consistently thrilling wines in Nuits-St-Georges.
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(6x75cl) 2019$787.00 -
(1x75cl) 2020$96.00 -
$500.00 -
Vinous (90-92)
The 2018 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos de l’Arlot Blanc 1er Cru is matured in 20% new oak. It has a well-defined and fragrant bouquet, subtle scents of marzipan and orange pith unfurling with aeration. The well-balanced palate offers orange peel and a touch of bitter lemon on the entry. This delivers more weight and a little more density than the La Gerbotte, finishing with pleasing salinity and a hint of toffee apple. Give it a couple of years in bottle.$755.00 -
Vinous (89-91)
The 2020 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos de l'Arlot Blanc 1er Cru is well defined on the nose, although it does not quite possess the mineralité that I found on the ‘19 last year. The palate is well balanced with good weight, quite pithy and lightly spiced, touches of lime and Conference pear towards the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle.$442.00 -
$153.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (92-94)
The 2023 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos de l'Arlot Blanc 1er Cru, which was taken from tank and will be bottled in December. This has quite a leesy bouquet as you would expect, though with fine energy and delineation, touches of Anjou pear emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with a lovely texture, a little honeyed, though not overtly tropical with a delicate touch of spice that enlivens the finish, hints of peach skin on the aftertaste. This might well surpass the previous vintage.$153.00 -
Wine Advocate (92)
The 1999 Nuits Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts Saint Georges is elegant and expressive, bursting with aromas of violets, ripe berries, sweet spices and rich savory nuances. On the palate, it's ample, medium to full-bodied and satiny, with stunningly elegant structuring tannins, a succulent core of luscious fruit and a long, precise finish. This is a beautiful wine that is aging on its impeccable balance.$269.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2010 Nuits St. Georges Clos des Forets St.-Georges is striking. Freshly cut flowers, spices and red berries are some of the many notes that are woven together. Though deceptively understated at first, the Forets St-Georges has plenty of underlying Nuits structure. A crystalline, totally pure finish laced with rose petals, spices and licorice wraps around the palate in stunning style. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2030.$191.00 -
Vinous (93)
One of the clear standouts in this range, the Nuits Saint Georges Clos des Forets Saint Georges possesses superior muscle and pure depth. Black fruit, smoke, tobacco and licorice flesh out as this broad-shouldered, structured Nuits shows off its inimitable personality. Layers of fruit build to the huge, vibrant finish. This is a terrific example of both Nuits and Clos des Forets St. Georges.$2,335.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
A blend of five parcels, combining grapes from the top, the middle and the bottom parts of the vineyard, this is a step above Jacques Devauges' first vintage in 2011. Complex, fresh and chalky, with a hint of good reduction, this is sweet and savoury, with lovely raspberry and watermelon fruit and gentle oak.$230.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2015 Nuits Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Fôrets Saint Georges includes around 55% whole bunch and is actually a blend of six different cuvées. What is interesting is that the whole bunch contribution is far less tangible in this compared to the Clos de l'Arlot. It is very well defined, quite sensual in style with very pure red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin: tart red cherry fruit, wild strawberry, saline in the mouth with a sappy finish that keeps drawing you back in. This is an outstanding contribution to the vintage, courtesy of winemaker Géraldine Godot.$142.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
Offering up a deep bouquet of cassis, plums, dark chocolate and spices, the 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges is medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with a textural attack, melting tannins, ripe acids and a deep core of sapid fruit. The finish is impressively long and nicely defined. Deeper and fleshier than the more ethereal Clos d'Arlot, this will blossom with a little bottle age, but it's sufficiently elegant and expressive to be approachable sooner.$645.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges is a lovely wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, spices, licorice and smoked meats. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, its muscular chassis of powdery tannin entirely cloaked in fruit, concluding with a long and nicely defined finish.$268.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges is a lovely wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, spices, licorice and smoked meats. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, its muscular chassis of powdery tannin entirely cloaked in fruit, concluding with a long and nicely defined finish.$134.00 -
Wine Advocate (93-95)
The 2018 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges is a lovely wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, spices, licorice and smoked meats. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, its muscular chassis of powdery tannin entirely cloaked in fruit, concluding with a long and nicely defined finish.$716.00 -
Vinous (93-95)
The 2019 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos des Forêts Saint Georges 1er Cru comprises 30% whole bunch and 35% new oak. It has the best bouquet from the domaine this year, delivering gorgeous red fruits laced with violet that burst from the glass, quite Vosne-like in style. The palate is succulent but structured on the entry, presenting a perfect line of acidity, while beautifully integrated oak lends a seamless texture. Very persistent and satiny on the finish. An outstanding wine for the vintage.$149.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Reserved on the nose and even a bit obstinate on the palate, this will need time to come around. The structure is lovely with pulsating tension surrounding the robust, black fruit core. There's a woodsy, spicy undertow here, too, from the generous new oak. These oldest vines here are about 65 years old and the youngest are about 30, so the resolute concentration is no surprise. 2024-32$125.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17.5)
Monopole of 7.2 ha (17.8 acres). Deep-medium cherry. Red cherries, raspberry and a little darker plum. Darker and serious, showing more classic Nuits-St-Georges typicality in the structure and the character of fruit. Firm and slightly ferrous. Very structured on the finish.$631.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-93)
A fuller purple than either Arlot cuvée, which is as normal. The bouquet holds the promise of clean fruit at optimum ripeness, but does not deliver detail at this point. Plenty of energy here, some slightly firmer tannins, correct acidity, and then the more perfumed red berry fruit, slightly more raspberry here, returns at the back. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted: October 2023.$115.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (92-93)
A fuller purple than either Arlot cuvée, which is as normal. The bouquet holds the promise of clean fruit at optimum ripeness, but does not deliver detail at this point. Plenty of energy here, some slightly firmer tannins, correct acidity, and then the more perfumed red berry fruit, slightly more raspberry here, returns at the back. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted: October 2023.$599.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93-95)
The 2023 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos des Forêts Saint Georges 1er Cru has a detailed and complex bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, a subtle estuarine influence and light graphite scents that surface with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with dark berry fruit. This is the most opulent and richest of the cuvées from the Domaine, attributable to the terroir. A dash of white pepper and allspice lingers on the finish. Excellent.$238.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93-95)
The 2023 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos des Forêts Saint Georges 1er Cru has a detailed and complex bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, a subtle estuarine influence and light graphite scents that surface with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with dark berry fruit. This is the most opulent and richest of the cuvées from the Domaine, attributable to the terroir. A dash of white pepper and allspice lingers on the finish. Excellent.$129.00 -
(1x75cl) 2022Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-93)
A mid crimson colour, slightly deeper than Mont des Oiseaux. Rather more pure red fruit on the bouquet. Fine tension, medium plus bodied, more strawberry than raspberry, with an even fruit through to the finish, where the fine tannins and light acidity are in balance. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted: October 2023.$148.00 -
Jasper Morris Inside Burgundy (91-93)
A mid crimson colour, slightly deeper than Mont des Oiseaux. Rather more pure red fruit on the bouquet. Fine tension, medium plus bodied, more strawberry than raspberry, with an even fruit through to the finish, where the fine tannins and light acidity are in balance. Drink from 2029-2036. Tasted: October 2023.$752.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (92-94)
The 2023 Nuits Saint-Georges Clos de l'Arlot 1er Cru has a vibrant bouquet that one might mistake for containing some stems—slightly darker fruit, with a touch of seaweed. The palate is medium-bodied with a saline entry, very well balanced and elegant in style, with a harmonious and persistent finish. Quite seductive.$139.00 -
(1x150cl) 2004Vinous (89+)
Good deep, bright red. Musky aromas of briary red fruits, pepper, herbs and underbrush. Tight and a bit dry in the mouth, with good verve to its red fruit flavors but a less silky texture than the Suchots. Finishes with a firm mineral spine and a light peppery quality.$1,075.00 -
Vinous (96)
(100% vendange entier): Bright, dark red. Very ripe but rather brooding aromas of blueberry, licorice, violet and tropical dark chocolate. Then wonderfully perfumed and precise in the mouth, conveying an impression of thickness and inner-mouth tension without weight. The stems provide another dimension without dominating the wine's fruits and flowers. A spectacular example of 2015, not yet fleshy but very dense and seductively sweet. The bracing, mounting finish goes on and on. This wine will need many years of cellaring to unfold and yet it's easier to taste today than its 2016 sibling, as are most of these '15s.$903.00 -
(1x75cl) 2017Vinous (97)
The 2017 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru has an exquisitely-defined, focused bouquet of brambly red fruit, crushed stone and wilted rose petal. The palate is refined but powerful, with gently grippy tannins. There is a Richebourg-like backbone but Romanée-Saint-Vivant-like elegance toward the impressively long finish. This is a magnificent 2017 Grand Cru. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.$718.00 -
(3x75cl) 2019Vinous (95-97)
The 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru comprises 40% whole bunch and 25% new oak because winemaker Géraldine Godot wanted less wood influence during élevage. That was an astute decision, because it renders a very seductive, pure and engaging bouquet of copious red cherries, kirsch and blueberry fruit laced with pressed violets that is très R.S.V. The palate is medium-bodied with a sensual, velvety-smooth entry, a mixture of red and black fruit and impressive volume, but it also delivers the luxuriant elegance you expect from this Grand Cru. Fans out wonderfully on the finish. Just a gorgeous, sensual Grand Cru.$3,260.00

