Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jasper Morris
Not as deep in colour as the Charmes, but still with a vibrant purple edge. An interesting mix between crystalline red fruit and perhaps a little white pepper from the whole bunch component. Clearly a well-constructed wine. Racy fresh raspberry fruit, with a firmer structure behind, not so much of the blueberry here. This Clos de la Roche once again demonstrates the raw silk image which I have for this vineyard. Drink from 2028-2036.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Vinous
The 2021 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has an expressive bouquet, more complex than the Clos des Lambrays and again demonstrating clever use of whole cluster that is proportional to the fruit. Fine delineation. The palate is beautifully balanced with filigree tannins. Lightly peppered, tensile with a linear and quite saline/black tea-infused finish, this retains the classical style of the reds in this vintage and conveys a sense of class. Recommended.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another charming, sensual wine from Arlaud, the 2021 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru delivers aromas of orange rind, rose petals, sweet spices and plums. Medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with melting tannins, bright acids and a saline finish, it's a pure, elegant rendition of this site.
Barrel Sample: 92-94
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
While Morey-St-Denis of Burgundy might not get the same attention as its neighbors, Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south, there is no reason why it shouldn’t. The same line of limestone runs from the Combe de Lavaux in Gevrey—all the way through Morey—ending in Chambolle.
There are four grand cru vineyards, moving southwards from the border with Gevrey-Chambertin: Clos de la Roche, Clos St-Denis, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de Tart and a small segment of Bonnes-Mares overlapping from Chambolle. Clos de la Roche is probably the finest vineyard, giving wines of true depth, body, and sturdiness for the long haul than most other vineyards.
Pinot Noir from Morey-St-Denis is known for its deep red cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry fruit. Aromas of spice, licorice and purple flowers are present in the wines’ youth, evolving to forest and game as the wine ages.