2008 Domaine de l'Arlot, Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Clos des Forets Saint-Georges

The 2008 Nuits St. Georges Clos des Forets St.-Georges is a gorgeous wine. Here the freshness of the vintage plays off the warmth of the site nicely. The 2008 is naturally less extroverted than the 2009 tasted alongside it, but the wine nevertheless impresses for its cool, mineral-laced fruit and fabulous length. This is a fairly subtle wine that isn’t quite ready to show all of its cards. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028. Domaine de L’Arlot has been an organic estate for ten years. In 2009 Olivier Leriche began harvesting on September 7 and ended around the 15th. The wines were vinified with a higher than normal percentage of whole clusters and spent 20-25 days on the skins. I tasted most of the 2009s from barrel. Leriche planned to bottle the wines with no fining or filtration. I also tasted a handful of 2008s. The 2008s were bottled between April and July 2010 (a bit on the late side because of the lengthy malos) with no fining or filtration. Various American importers, including: A Daniel Johnnes Selection imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY, tel. (516) 677 9300; Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel. (781) 278-2000; Triage Wines Inc., Seattle, WA; tel. (503) 236-6262; Chambers & Chambers, San Francisco, CA; tel. (415) 642-5500; Ansonia Wines, Washington D.C.; tel. (202) 506-4215; USA Wine Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 941-7133

Good dark red. Musky, tangy red berries and a whiff of truffle on the nose; a bit less elegant than the Clos de l'Arlot. Then juicy and vibrant but tight and hiding its underlying richness; strong and palate-staining but much less fruity today, even a bit youthfully tough. The tannins are distinctly more peppery than those of the Clos de l'Arlot and will require patience. This was vinified with 90% whole clusters.

Notably dark crimson. Racy and nervy. But a little bit confected. Also tasted by JH on 11 Jan 2010. Score 16. Drink 2012-16: Much more deeply coloured than most and an attractively complex nose of dark fruit and both a hint of savoury and floral. Firm, chewy, dry but not unpleasantly so. Just a little bitter on the finish. (JH)