2014 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Cyprien Arlaud told me in November that he believed at the outset that 2014 was less good than 2013. But today, he went on, he’s “getting more and more pleasure from the young wines and raising his estimation of the vintage. ” He pointed out that 2000, 2006, 2007 were previous dry years that suffered a greater loss of acidity during heat spikes than 2014 (or even 2015) did.

He began harvesting in 2014 on September 15, eliminating a bit of rot from some vineyards and carrying out a week-long pre-fermentation cold soak. Arlaud, who as a general rule has been reducing his use of sulfur dioxide and chaptalization, told me that none of his wines were chaptalized more than 0. 5%. Two grand crus, he added, weren’t chaptalized at all and the finished wines will be around 12. 7% alcohol. Arlaud also noted that he hasn't done more than three pigeages per cuvée since 2004. Yields here were healthy in 2014: about 45 hectoliters per hectare for the village wines, 40 for the premier cru and 38 for the grand crus.