Wine Advisor
Domaine de L'Arlot, Romanee St Vivant Grand Cru 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru comprises 40% whole bunch and 25% new oak because winemaker Géraldine Godot wanted less wood influence during élevage. That was an astute decision, because it renders a very seductive, pure and engaging bouquet of copious red cherries, kirsch and blueberry fruit laced with pressed violets that is très R.S.V. The palate is medium-bodied with a sensual, velvety-smooth entry, a mixture of red and black fruit and impressive volume, but it also delivers the luxuriant elegance you expect from this Grand Cru. Fans out wonderfully on the finish. Just a gorgeous, sensual Grand Cru.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Unfurling with aromas of plums, blackberries and Griotte cherries, complemented by hints of loamy soil, raw cocoa, rose petals and toasty new oak, the 2019 Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is full-bodied, velvety and textural, with a sumptuous, enveloping and richly tannin profile. Bright and layered, it concludes with a broad, expansive finish.
About the Producer
Domaine d'Arlot is a new winery founded in 1987, but it has a long history of vineyards and owns three exclusive plots (a monopole, which means that a vineyard is the exclusive property of a single winery or winemaker): Clos du Chapeau, Clos de l'Arlot, Clos des Forets St Georges. 'Arlot, and Clos des Forets St Georges. In 1991, a small plot of Romanee St. Vivant was bought, and the following year a plot of Vosne Romanee Les Suchots was bought, bringing the vineyard to 14 hectares. The Domaine d'Arlot is one of the few exceptions to the rule of grandeur in Bourgogne. Around the end of the eighteenth century, Jean Charles Vienot, the owner of the place, built a stone wall around the vineyard, and the vineyard was named Domaine de l'Arlot. The Domaine de l'Arlot began to use organic farming methods in 2000 and was certified in 2014. The vineyards have been rebalanced and rejuvenated to produce healthier and riper grapes. The philosophy of the winery is: the less intervention the better. The grapes are hand-harvested, selected twice, only the best grapes are used, natural yeasts are used for fermentation, and the lees are pressed by hand, without using pumps as much as possible, to reflect the "terroir" of each field and lot, and to give the wine its personality.
