The Wine Advocate | RP 90-92
Published: Jan 20, 2022

The 2020 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges opens in the glass with scents of cherries, cassis and plums. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it's a broad shouldered, muscular wine with a deep core of fruit and a notable payload of rich, powdery tannins. This is a rather chunky, blocky Clos des Forêts that is more impactful than elegant at this early stage.

Géraldine Godot told me that all Domaine de l'Arlot's wines in the 2020 vintage came in above 14% alcohol and that she retained appreciable percentages of stems in this vintage. Harvest began on August 25. Tasted from preprepared samples, these were rich, powerful wines that are more muscular in style than the domaine's 2019s.

Arlot.com

The Style of the Wine
With its well-defined character, this wine perfectly illustrates the identity of the Nuits Saint Georges vineyard. Complex aromas of blackcurrant mingled with spicy blackberry are revealed on the nose with, depending on the vintage, darker notes of liquorice, leather and blood orange. The well-built mouth affirms itself with density and strength around a tight structure with rich, well-wrapped tannins. It becomes increasingly seductive over time, which comes from the elegance, intensity and purity of the fruit.

Discover more
- The Clos des Forêts Saint Georges covers the entire geological range of the slopes of Nuits Saint Georges: Ladoix limestone at the bottom, Premeaux limestone in the middle, and white oolite limestone in the upper part, with a marked presence of ochre silt in some places. This Clos is planted entirely to Pinot Noir.

- Traditional vinification: A manual harvest, minimal vatting, pumping over and punching down without excess to reveal the full aromatic range drawn from this great terroir. Ageing lasts on average 15 months in oak barrels, with a maximum of 50% new barrels, and 3 months in vats before bottling.

- A wine for ageing: the generous terroir of the Clos des Forêts Saint Georges forms the soul of the wine. It builds a solid red around well-present tannins which define a wine for ageing. A few years in the cellar will allow the wine to express itself more fully and make it more graceful, silkier and more complete.

The Terroir
In Burgundy the monopoly (single estate vineyard) defines a unit of land, a terroir which has been perfectly defined for centuries and which is owned by a single proprietor. The Clos des Forêts Saint Georges covers a surface of 7.2 hectares, all in one piece. It is a unique terroir in a privileged location which right from its origin has made one of the greatest Nuits Saint Georges wines.

Tasting Note
Once again, red fruit is predominant in the aromas of this wine. The presence of vegetal notes, blackcurrant and garrigue herbs contribute to its complexity. The richness of the red fruit on the palate gives way to very well-integrated tannins, providing delicate balance and tautness.

Géraldine Godot, Technical Director (July 2022)

The Weather
After a very moderate winter, the mildest since the early 20th century, the vine started its growing cycle in March. The spring temperatures made 2020 one of the three earliest years on record. The flowering stage was reached in mid-May, and veraison began in early July. Rainfall continued to be scarce as the months progressed, particularly in July, and the scorching first two weeks of August hastened the start of harvesting.

The Harvest
The harvest took place from 25th to 30 th August, with summery weather and just one rainy day.

The Grapes
The early start to the season and the summer drought had a significant effect on quantities, which were close to those of 2019. Exceptionally, this year we observed that the Pinot Noir had reached maturity before the Chardonnay, so it was harvested first. The high level of tartaric acid combined with sun-drenched fruit helped maintain balance and freshness. The 2020 vintage promises to be unique, and heralds great potential.