Money Well Spent: Domaine de L’Arlot: 1959-2019
BY NEAL MARTIN |
My first trip to Burgundy…It must have been around April or May 1997. The itinerary is vague, but one evening remains crystal clear. I had dinner in Beaune’s best restaurant, Ma Cuisine. Unlike today, when gourmands are spoiled for choices, Ma Cuisine was essentially the only decent place to load up on rabbit terrine or coq au vin. Its wine list was renowned, overflowing with mature vintages with prices scarcely believable in today’s inflationary climate. I chose the wine. I wasn’t sure who would be paying, so erring on caution, I skipped the DRC and plumped for the 1990 Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de L’Arlot. It was my epiphany. It was the moment that Burgundy clicked. Now I understood why people liked Bordeaux but loved Burgundy. I didn’t taste that wine again for 18 years before a friend kindly proffered another bottle, and memories flooded back.
Three buildings surround the courtyard that opens onto the busy RN74. I don’t know what is in this one! At the rear, gardens confine them with even a small maze.
So, I have always had an attachment to Domaine de L’Arlot and have visited countless times over the years. It is a relatively recent arrival compared to stalwarts like Gouges or Rousseau. Its origin lies with the Vienot family, who owned parcels around Nuits-Saint-Georges, plus the “château” in Prémeaux directly overlooking the RN74 artery that dates from Louis XIV. In 1891, it was sold to a négociant, Jules Belin. Tragically in 1933, after a successful first few decades, members of the Belin family died in a car accident at a level-crossing, and after that, the domaine struggled. Bottles are rarely seen, but curiosity got the better of me a few years ago when I chanced upon a 1959 Clos de L’Arlot on a merchant list for under £100. Those were the days. It was an absolute gem, and I reproduced the note for this piece.
In 1977, former accountant and keen yachtsman Jean-Pierre de Smet worked with his friend Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac. Predictably, he was bitten by the wine bug. Cue late career change. Having studied at the University of Dijon, in 1987, de Smet caught wind that French insurance company AXA was seeking to move into Burgundy, after buying Château Pichon-Baron. De Smet ended up mediating the acquisition of Jules Belin. AXA would own the building and vineyard, while de Smet would jointly own a new company named AXA-Millésimes assigned to manage the estate, thereby giving de Smet autonomy over decision making.
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A few months ago, winemaker Géraldine Godot flew over to London to present a fascinating tasting of recent vintages from Domaine de L’Arlot in Nuits-Saint-Georges, including a rare vertical of their Romanée-Saint-Vivant.
