Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux

Supplier/Importer: Tenzing Imports

Appellations: Côte de Beaune

In Allen Meadows’ recent book, La Perle de la Côte, Arnoux-Lachaux is recognized as a benchmark producer of Vosne-Romanée. Beginning with the 2007 vintage, Pascal began labeling the wines as Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux and discontinued bottling under the Domaine Robert Arnoux label.

Pascal Lachaux is the son-in-law of the famous Robert Arnoux. He started full-time at the winery in 1985 when he was just 23 years-old. He has been the head winemaker since the early 90’s. Under Pascal Lachaux’s leadership, the domaine has reached unprecedented levels of quality, and today, it is regarded as one of Vosne-Romanee’s leading estates. After Pascal began working with Robert, he made some changes, notably pruning the vines to reduce yields: 9 bunches per vine in the Bourgogne vineyards, 7-8 bunches for the village appellation and 6 bunches for 1er and Grand Cru. In the cellar, the grapes are destemmed entirely and then undergo a 4-8 day cold maceration and only natural yeasts are used. The amount of new oak was increased to 20-25% on village wines, 50% on 1er Cru and 100% on Grand Cru and 1er Cru Suchots and Reignots. Pascal is now using some 500-liter casks on the village and regional wines to preserve the fruit and lessen oak flavors.

There are a total of 12 ha of vines, mostly in Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges. Old vines are found throughout all of the sites and the oldest of the vines go back to 1921 for the Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Corvée Pagets. Millerandage (the underdevelopment of the bunches during flowering, causing smaller berries) is positive in this case as it contributes to the concentration for which the Arnoux-Lachaux wines are famous.