2018 Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru

Revisited after a year in bottle, Lachaux's 2018 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru lives up to my glowing review, mingling aromas of wild berries, oriental spices and orange peel with hints of coniferous forest floor, violets and peonies. Full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, it's immensely concentrated, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. This is well worth a special effort to seek out.

The 2018 Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru was cropped at just 18hl/ha due to the way Charles Lachaux cane-pruned the vines after the hail-damaged 2017 vintage. The broody nose reveals hints of dark chocolate infusing the brambly red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit. Structured and foursquare, conservative in some ways, with a strong marine influence developing toward the fresh finish. It will need several years in bottle, but there is good potential here.

0.53 ha acquired in 2008. In the north of the appellation, in Gevrey-Chambertin. Just 18 hl/ha as the vines had to be pruned hard after the 2017 frost. Yields just 18 hl/ha. 100% whole bunch, 25% new oak. Mid to deep crimson. The darkest wine so far in this line-up of 2018s. A savoury and aromatic beauty. Intense and gently peppery and stemmy on the nose but the dark fruit shines. Dark-fruited and spicy on the palate with a minerally intensity. Effortless intensity, smooth and compact. There’s depth here and still a lightness of touch. Gently chewy finish and the finest of rocky (mineral) spice. A dark beauty. (JH)