Special Offer Price - $114.95 per bottle with code MILLANDES
That Cyprien Arlaud has always preferred his ‘13s to his ‘10s is fascinating, the more so considering how successful these '10s have turned out. Though the '10s are perhaps more ‘impressive’ the ‘13s here show a level of detail and sheer personality that, vintage charts notwithstanding, easily sustains the comparison.
You always get a more interesting and honest take on vintages here than elsewhere. Cyprien thinks much and speaks little and you learn to listen carefully. His mind is as thoughtful and active as any vigneron in the whole of Burgundy and its quickness leavened by a sharp historical awareness. The human portrait feels especially worth sketching as the modern era at Arlaud bears testimony to wines that uncannily embody the spirit of their maker. They are fiercely traditional and yet the ease with which Cyprien sloughs off the merely mechanical aspects of old thinking comes through via a set of wines that feel, above all, original.
Arlaud’s ‘Millandes’ is always classic middle-Morey: you note the proximity of Gevrey or Chambolle less than with the other Morey premiers. The ’13 sums the wine’s typicality brilliantly, leading with understated foresty, meaty details alongside the expressive purple plum and black raspberry fruit. On the palate the wine cuts a more generous impression than expected, the fruit at pinpoint ripeness and then the Morey savor alongside. There is a touch of ’13’s sweet/sour character but fruit and terroir win out handsomely.
Cheers,
Jason
