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Arlaud with Arlaud
Portland restaurant, London
Tasted January 11, 2016 by SimonG with 397 views
Flight 1 - Pre-aperitif (1 note)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Domaine Arlaud Crémant de Bourgogne
85 points
Not sure whether this was nv or vintage as I didn't see the bottle. Clean and fresh whilst being nicely rounded and smooth. A good start. Fresh palate reviver rather than anything more complex, but a lot smoother and creamier than most. A good example. **1/2
Flight 2 - Aperitif (1 note)
White - Sparkling
1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires
94 points
Mellow, smooth and rich with a creamy biscuitiness. Nicely mature. Lots here. Ginger and spice and all things nice. Long. Maybe lacks a little freshness cf the best bottles but really lovely and showing more richness and composure than the bottle at the Wine Gang bash before Christmas. Original disgorgement. ****1/2
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Flight 3 - Starters galore (3 notes)
Soughdough with smoked butter and ox heart shavings
Culaccia di Parma and Bresaola
Pickled shitake with soy and ginger
Shallot, smoked cod's roe and chervil
Montgomery gougeres
Salsify, hazelnuts, Linconshire Poacher and truffle
Polenta, diced langoustine, chicken and ginger jus
Winter salad
Red
2007 Domaine Arlaud Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Millandes
90 points
Light ruby to mid garnet. Savoury, red fruit and caramel. Quite fragrant. Mellow and smooth on the palate. Retains a nice grip and focus. Blind, I'd guess Chambolle. Lovely. ***1/2
Red
2007 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin
92 points
Similar light ruby to mid garnet. Again, nicely fragrant. Light red fruit. More focus and precision on the nose. There's a density too. Deeper and fuller and tighter knit on the attack. There's a bit more weight and stuffing here without losing the elegance. ****
Red
2007 Domaine Arlaud Clos de la Roche
94 points
Magnum. Light ruby to mid garnet, but a shade or two lighter than the previous two. More savoury on the nose. A little more spice too. Very light, bright and clear. A little more mineral with a sharper line. Nose opens up to show a little richer and more caramely too. Broader spectrum of aromas here. A tangible beauty against the more statuesque Charmes. Proper burgundy and a touch of the peacock's tail; an ethereal lightness backed up by some sweetness and density to the fruit. Just lovely at the moment, I could savour and sip this all evening. Continues to strengthen over three hours or so. ****1/2
Flight 4 - Roast pork belly, heritage carrots, purple sprouting and ratte spuds (3 notes)
Red
1999 Domaine Arlaud Bonnes Mares
94 points
Magnum. A touch cloudy. Mid garnet. Starts off quite high toned with more than a whiff of TCP, though thankfully this blows off after a couple of minutes. A lively grippy feel on the palate. Lots here. Good acidity and line. Just starting to relax, but it really takes an hour to start showing it stuff. Opens up nicely. Fresh and textured. Really lovely. ****1/2 to *****
Red
2001 Domaine Arlaud Clos St. Denis
93 points
Slightly cloudy and a touch pettillant. Richer, and more caramel-scented. Again, a nice denseness here. Still some grip. A little more open and giving on the nose cf the palate, but it's getting there. Very scented and fragrant. ****
Red
2002 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin
89 points
Deep ruby to fullish garnet. Dense. Savoury dark red to black fruit. Tighter and fuller through the men-palate. Lacks a touch of zip and freshness on the finish. Really quite full at the loss of finesse. Fantastically plush, dense and dark, but for me, overdone. Blind I'd be in a ripe new world vintage. ***
Flight 5 (2 notes)
Gruyere and blue
Red
1969 Domaine Arlaud Charmes-Chambertin
flawed
Very muddy and densely cloudy. Completely opaque. Pure nutty caramel on the nose. This hasn't travelled well. No.
Flight 6 (3 notes)
Red
2000 Gérard Raphet Clos Vougeot
91 points
Blind. Ruby to mid garnet. Strawberry configure and caramel on the nose before it tightens and shows a little more restraint. Light and pretty but a little superficial. Fills out a bit with air, but doesn't quite show the promise of a bottle in 2009. Certainly on the light side but it was heading in the right direction with air, and putting on the requisite weight. ****, just
Red
2002 Domaine Arlaud Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Ruchots
92 points
Very scented, floral. Dark red fruit. Dense and plush. Darker and more savoury than the Raphet Vougeot alongside but less extracted than the Charmes and better for it. Seems to benefit from the style in 02. Lots here. ****
Closing
A fantastic evening with fellow forumites over dinner and quite a few Arlaud wines with Cyprien Arlaud. Big thumbs up for the 07s, lighter yes, but none the worse for that, and an impressive 99 Bonnes Mares. Corkiness aside, it was only the more ambitious 02 that was over-throttled for my palate. In general though, lovely transparent wines, and an obviously thoughtful touch at the helm. Great to hear Cyprien chatting happily about the vineyards and vintage styles and sharing some of his obvious passion for making and enjoying great bottles. My first taste of Arlaud and I hope it's not the last. Thanks to Mark and Peter for pulling this together and extending the invitation.