2016 Domaine Arlaud Père & Fils Clos de la Roche Cuvée Unique Reserve Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
Medium red. A reticent but pure expression of Clos de la Roche soil on the nose, offering subtle scents of raspberry, strawberry, dried flowers, brown spices, underbrush and minerals. Juicy and fine-grained but youthfully tight, with lovely spicy, integrated, mineral-driven acidity framing the red berry and earth flavors. Finishes lively and tight but not hard or dry. Arlaud noted that the pH is 3.5, at the high end for his 2016s, as is usually the case for this wine, which comes from vines that he's careful not to pick too early. We need to accept a higher pH in order to get enough fruit ripeness, he explained.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru includes 20% whole bunch with around 15% new oak (although the average age of the barrels is younger). It has an open and expressive bouquet, predominantly red fruit at the fore although I would be seeking just a little more precision given the vineyard. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannin, a little angular at the moment and again, just needing more finesse on the finish. At the moment, the Clos Saint-Denis is a couple of furlongs ahead in style and sophistication. This needs to up its game during the rest of its barrel maturation.