2021 Echézeaux Grand Cru

Cyprien Arlaud’s winery is currently undergoing expansion. Upon entering his winery, there is a faint smell of concrete, common across the region where so much construction work is taking place. This will be important for Arlaud’s working methods, as the more capacious barrel chai will allow him to reduce the barrels from three layers to one, facilitating cellar work. Another recent change is that the ‘&Arlaud’ label has changed to ‘Cyprien Arlaud’ from the 2019 vintage, since those contracted vineyards are now biodynamic.

“We had a good start despite the frost. We were quite lucky in the Côte de Nuits, and there are different factors behind this. First, the main one, I organised all the final pruning in March. I’d already invested in our 17-person team so that we could prune 18 hectares in 10 days. Every month, we prune according to the lunar cycle. During the three nights of frost, on the first two nights, I did not light the candles, just the third night when we got the snow, and I wanted to avoid the risk. We lit around ten hectares [of vines]. The frosted vines had good second generation fruit thanks to the viticulture and pruning. Another factor is the fact that Morey-Saint-Denis was less affected by the frost compared to other appellations. The worst aspect of the frost is not losing quantity, but that vineyards completely stop, complicating the growing season. It was the first season with high pressure of mildew and oïdium, but we are a big team, vigilant in the vineyards. It was important for me not to spray too much sulphur and copper. It is tempting to spray more; however, it makes the vineyard sick and less able to ripen the fruit. So I did frequent sprays with small quantities: no powdered sulphur in the first treatments and instead using essential oils and hydrola [the water that comes from the distillation of essential oils].”

“We started picking on 23 September and then over the following 12 days, the Premier and Grand Crus around 25 or 26 September. In the end, the yield was around 35hl/ha for the Grand Crus, sometimes 40hl/ha elsewhere. I knew 2021 would be a more fragile vintage, so I was encouraged not to rack the wine during ageing as I felt this would take something away. So far, I’m pretty happy with the vintage. It’s a vintage that shows the capacity of our team.”

Amongst dozens of winemakers interviewed during my tastings, Arlaud is perhaps the one most prepared, principally by building a strong workforce that could keep on top of things in the vineyard, and the results can be seen in a startling performance of his 2021s. “A more challenging vintage can be more fulfilling,” Arlaud remarks. “I am not saying I like that kind of adrenalin, but there is satisfaction; there is a kind of positive energy within the team. I find the wines have a sucrosity and a sweetness. They are like kids. They make me forget about the complications of the vintage. Sometimes the wines remind me of the spirit of 2007.”

There is a deeply impressive set of wines here. I am bejewelled by a breathtaking Clos Saint-Denis and fabulous Gevrey-Chambertin Les Combottes. Overall, this is a vintage where Arlaud batted back the curveballs thrown by the growing season and came out victorious.