Domaine de l’Arlot is now the holder of a three-star rating from France’s most revered wine guide, Le Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France, published by La Revue du Vin de France. The ‘Green Guide’, as it is often called, is France’s wine equivalent to Le Guide Michelin. As per the Michelin guide, three stars are the summit and dubbed the ‘Olympus for French Wines’. At the last count, only 10 Côte de Nuits Domaines are rated trois étoiles, and l’Arlot now finds itself alongside the likes of DRC, Rousseau, Ponsot, Roumier, et al.

Obviously, this is a tremendous acknowledgment of the work of the current manager/winemaker, Géraldine Godot, who has brought this fascinating estate to the very top of the Burgundy tree. Taking nothing away from the great work of her predecessors—Jean-Pierre de Smet, Olivier Leriche, and Jacques Devauges—we agree entirely with Neal Martin, who has written that Géraldine Godot is “possibly making [Domaine l’Arlot’s] best wines ever.” 

This l’Arlot style is one of purity, perfume, and seduction—yet still with enough stuffing to age very well. This is why we buy Burgundy: to be able to drink wines like these.

Domaine de l’Arlot, with its hillside vineyards and 19th-century gardens, has what many consider to be the most beautiful estate in Burgundy. Since the late 1980s, this producer has also been responsible for some of the prettiest red Burgundies going around. The perfume, silkiness and flickering clarity of these wines are born of the l'Arlot vineyards and the Prémeaux terroir in general. Prémeaux has always stood apart from the rest of Nuits-Saint-Georges and made wines that are altogether finer and more elegant than those produced further North, around the town itself. L’Arlot brings the finesse of this terroir to the fore with their approach to wine growing and élevage. Biodynamic farming; perfect, well-sorted fruit; gentle extraction; and whole bunch use, all play their part. Every step, from vineyard to bottle, is tailored to underline purity and finesse.

In the cellar, Godot refuses to follow any recipes, instead adapting her winemaking to the season. In 2020, for example, she used between 50 and 70% whole bunches across the red cuvées. The warm, dry season produced stems that were riper, and Godot felt the ferments would benefit from the inclusion of whole bunches. She was right. In 2021, a much cooler, wetter season, there were no whole bunches added at all. So, no recipe, only careful consideration of the personality of each terroir, in each season, and then thoughtful, precise handling in the cellar. Of course, adaption is the name of the game these days in Burgundy. Godot is a highly thoughtful, sensitive and intelligent winemaker, and the quality of her current releases only underscores why this iconic Domaine is now rated so highly.