Producer profile: Domaine Arlaud

With the third generation of the family running Domaine Arlaud, their wines offer collectors a sure-fire way of owning – and drinking – some gems from Burgundy. 

Situated along the famed Route des Grand Crus in the heart of Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits, Domaine Arlaud has a front-row seat to all that makes Burgundy. The producer has enjoyed an ever growing success in iDealwine auctions, yet still maintains an affordable price with the average 750ml bottle fetching more than €125 (£107) in 2022

While its vineyard area spans multiple communes in the Côte de Nuits, its home base can be found in Morey-Saint-Denis, sandwiched between the superstar communes of Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. Morey Saint-Denis still houses a significant proportion of Domaine Arlaud’s area under vine, in addition to its modern winemaking facilities, which include one of the coldest cellars in the Côte de Nuits. The commune itself is home to an impressive five grand cru and 20 premier cru appellations, all of which can regularly be found on iDealwine.com.

ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY

The history of Domaine Arlaud began in 1942, with the marriage of Joseph Arlaud and Renée Amiot. Renée’s family had roots in the Burgundy winemaking community, which led to a truly remarkable wedding gift for the new couple – excellent parcels of land in Burgundy’s Côte de Nuits. Joseph and Renée would go on to manage their domaine for over 40 years, making shrewd acquisitions along the way.

Since then, two successive generations have had their turns at the helm. The first was Hervé Arlaud, who managed the operations until 2013, overseeing further expansion of the land and the adoption of sustainable agricultural techniques. In 2013, Cyprien Arlaud took over management of the domaine’s operations, and is now considered one of Burgundy’s most exciting winemakers. Together with his sister, Bertille, and brother, Romain, Cyprien helps form a trio of excellent winemakers representing the third generation of Arlauds at the estate.

Collectively, their wines carry the appellation labels of four grand crus, eight premiers crus, three villages, and the regionallevel Burgundy AOC. In iDealwine auctions, the most sought-after cuvées tend to be the four grand cru wines, all of which consistently sell for over €250 per 750ml bottle. The grands crus include Bonne-Mares, Clos de la Roche, Clos Saint-Denis, and Charmes-Chambertin.

The Bonne Mares Grand Cru is particularly popular, having sold for over €275 per 750ml bottle on four occasions in 2022 iDealwine auctions. The 2020 vintage fetched the highest price that year, commanding an impressive €359. The producer’s Bonne Mares vines straddle the border between Morey-Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny, with limited production resulting in a mere 1,000 bottles per year. The vines are over 40 years old, and their grapes are fermented using only indigenous yeast. The final 16-18 months spent in 80% new oak barrels result in a balanced, full bodied tasting profile, exuding notes of blackberry and soft spices, backed by round tannins and an excellent finish. It is no surprise where this cuvée’s popularity originates from.

INTENSE EXPERIENCE

Following closely behind the Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru are the Clos de la Roche and Clos Saint-Denis Grand Crus, each of which have commanded over €300 for a single bottle in 2022 iDealwine auctions (the 2015 of the former and the 2020 of the latter). Domaine Arlaud’s Clos de la Roche delivers an intense sensory experience, marked with fresh minerality and hauntingly exquisite violet aromas. The domaine produces around 2,000 of these each year. On the other hand, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru features the lowest level of production, with an annual volume of only 900 bottles. These wines are complex and powerful, true to their appellation, with muscular tannins, diverse fruit flavours, and a floral finish; A true gift from an undeniably remarkable plot of land that measures a mere 0.17 hectares.

The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru provides a lighter and more delicate cuvée to balance out Domaine Arlaud’s already diverse line-up of grands crus. The pleasant aromas emitted by this wine include vanilla, cherries, and red berries. Although Domaine Arlaud chooses to release more bottles of this cuvée than for its counterparts, it is by no means mass produced, with the annual production volume hovering at around 5,000 bottles. The highest priced bottle of Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru by Domaine Arlaud in 2022 iDealwine auctions went for €235 in the 2010 vintage.

One of the most well-known aspects of Domaine Arlaud is the estate’s devout commitment to sustainable viticulture. Its hard work in this area began in 1998, with the elimination of herbicides. Before the turn of the century, this was quickly followed by the elimination of insecticides, and reduced spraying.

Over the next decade, Domaine Arlaud would introduce organic and biodynamic practices in the entire estate, eventually obtaining certificates for both – organic in 2010 and biodynamic in 2014. The producer is proud of its sustainable approach to winemaking, believing that beyond the health and environmental effects, it also allows it to ensure a more nuanced expression of its unique terroirs.

iDealwine shares this vision of the future, with an ever-growing selection of organic, biodynamic and natural wines available on its website at fixed-price and at auction.

Internal auction data shows that the adoption of sustainable production methods is growing from top producers, as many of the highest-priced organic and biodynamic wines featured in iDealwine auctions last year mirrored those in the highest-priced rankings overall. With sustainability as its guiding light and a trio of winemaking siblings leading the charge, there is no doubt that Domaine Arlaud’s reputation will continue to reach new heights in the coming years.