2011 Domaine Arlaud Clos de la Roche

Domaine Arlaud Pere et Fils is in Morey-St.-Denis, Burgundy. The family-owned domaine now is run by Cyprien Arlaud with help from his younger brother. Domaine Arlaud owns or leases 37 acres which include Grand Cru vineyards in Clos de la Roche, Clos Saint-Denis and Bonnes-Mares. There are also Premier Cru parcels in Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin and Chambolle-Musigny. Burgundy writers are consistently impressed with the domain’s wines. Clive Coates has written that “I find the Arlaud wines very pure and fragrant. This is a very good address.” Many of the wines are made in small quantities of fewer than 100 cases.

Clos de la Roche is a 41-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in the Cotes de Nuits, in northern Burgundy. The tiny village of Morey St.-Denis is just south of Gevrey-Chambertin and Clos de Roche is considered the appellation’s most superior Grand Cru. The vineyard’s elevation ranges from 270 to 300 meters, and its soil is extremely rocky with excellent drainage. The soil is largely limestone, and in some places it is barely a foot deep. Writer Clive Coates calls Clos de Roche “the classiest of the Morey Grand Crus.” The largest landholders are Ponsot with 8.35 acres; Dujac, 4.88 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.7 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.