2012 Nuits St Georges Clos de l'Arlot
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Tasting notes
Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru Clos de l'Arlot from Domaine de l'Arlot has a lifted nose that is not quite as clean as its peers, perhaps rather animally and feral due to just a touch of brettanomyces. The palate is medium-bodied with good weight in the mouth, thickset tannin suggesting a lot of extraction and as a consequence I found myself seeking more finesse. But there is presence here and it remains nicely focused on the finish, so with time one expects amelioration given the pedigree of the vineyard.
Critic scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Healthy dark red. Ripe blackberry, coffee and bitter chocolate on the nose; conveys a strong torrefaction character. Rich, plush and seamless; hugely concentrated and broad and yet this is surprisingly easy to taste today. "This cru is usually feminine and elegant," notes Devauges, who told me he did only three pigeages in total during the vinification. Still, owing to its huge material (the crop level here was just 11 hectoliters per hectare in 2012), I suspect that this wine will shut down in the bottle.
(from "tired old vines" planted between 1943 and 1952, according to Devauges, who noted that the substantial coulure resulted in a tiny yield of 12 hectoliters per hectare in 2012): Bright dark red. Tangy aromas and flavors of candied raspberry, mocha and dark chocolate. Sweet, creamy and extract-rich; wonderfully dense, sappy and saline wine with outstanding concentration. For such a chewy Nuits-Saint-Georges, this maintains a degree of elegance. Finishes very long, with tannins buried in fruit.
Here too the sulfur is dominant. The attractively vibrant middle weight flavors possess more size, weight and mid-palate density along with fine depth and length. As is usually the case this is not an especially refined wine but I like the frank character and this should drink well young. Tasted: Jun 15, 2014. Drink: 2016+