2017 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Bourgogne, Pinot Fin

Like many wines from this vintage, Lachaux's 2017 Bourgogne Pinot Fin has put on weight in bottle and is showing more depth and density than it did from barrel. Unwinding in the glass with deep aromas of berry fruits and forest floor mingled with hints of peonies and orange, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with impressive structure and concentration. If anything, it's a touch more introverted than the 2017 Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Poisots that I drank a few weeks earlier. This is an overperformer.

Pinot Fin is an ancient selection of Pinot Noir that survives in a few vineyards and gives naturally low yields. The domaine has four parcels, one of which dates back to 1959. The colour is pale but the nose is perfumed, with heady strawberry aromas. It's medium-bodied and still has intensity and concentration, with bright acidity that highlights the tangy red fruits. Quite long.

The 2017 Bourgogne Pinot Fin is a blend of several vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny and others located between Vosne-Romanée and Nuits Saint Georges. It includes 70% whole bunches. The very fine bouquet features quite intense red cherries and crushed strawberry. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet tannin, a core of fleshy sorbet-fresh red fruit and a touch of spice on the finish. It just misses a little length, but otherwise, it’s impressive.

Fruit from seven plots, 50% from Chambolle, 25% from Vosne and 25% from Nuits-St-Georges. The Pinot Fin clone typically has smaller bunches. 70% whole bunch. Aged in oak but none new – barrels up to five years old. Delicate. Pale pinky red. So pretty, red-fruited but not overly sweet-fruited. Juicy and precise, delicate and long for a Bourgogne. A subtle beauty with charming freshness. Light but not a lightweight. (JH)