Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux

Why we follow Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux

The estate

Founded in 1858 and known for most of its life as Domaine Robert Arnoux. Robert ran it until his death in 1995, when his son-in-law Pascal Lachaux took over and renamed it in 2007. Charles Lachaux, the sixth generation, joined in 2011 and took control of the winemaking in 2012. What has happened since has been one of the fastest ascents in modern Burgundy. He is candid about his ambition, which is to be spoken of alongside Domaine Leroy. His mother Florence handles the administration and the allocations.

The vineyards

Fourteen and a half hectares of old-vine Pinot Noir in the Côte de Nuits, averaging over fifty-five years. Romanée-St-Vivant runs to a third of a hectare of roughly ninety-year-old vines, fifty metres from Romanée-Conti. Échezeaux, Clos de Vougeot and half a hectare of Latricières-Chambertin follow. The premier crus are tiny. Aux Reignots is two tenths of a hectare, and in the frost-hit 2021 vintage it produced 347 bottles.

In the glass

Charles farms in a way that looks unlike his neighbours: no vine trimming, so the canopies soar; tall trellising; gobelet pruning; and high-density experiments running to 17,000 vines per hectare at Aux Reignots. In the cellar there is no pre-fermentation maceration, mostly seventy to one hundred per cent whole clusters, native yeasts, a short seven to ten day maceration and twice-daily punch-downs by foot. From the 2022 vintage the wines are aged around thirty-six months largely in sandstone amphorae, with only a small proportion of oak. Very few grand cru estates in Burgundy have moved away from barrels so decisively, and the wines are correspondingly pure and mineral.

With Lamont’s

Offered through the Private Cellar Selection, generally following the August release. Register your interest and we will contact you when the next allocation is confirmed.