Robert Arnoux

History of Domaine Robert Arnoux

The history of Domaine Robert Arnoux begins in 1858, when Charles Arnoux married Renée Salbreux in Vosne-Romanée. The two winegrowing families united their vineyards on that occasion, giving birth to a new wine estate on one of the most prestigious terroirs in the world. From this union, Robert Arnoux was born in 1931; he would take over the estate at the age of 26, in 1957, upon the death of his father Charles. Despite a difficult economic climate, Robert Arnoux showed great boldness by launching the sale of bottled wine in the early 1950s, gradually abandoning bulk sales to négociants.

Supported by his wife Clotilde Truchetet, with whom he would have three daughters, Robert Arnoux developed the estate through the successive acquisition of plots in the finest climates of the Côte de Nuits. In 1987, Pascal Lachaux, originally from Beaune, married Florence Arnoux and joined his father-in-law to learn the trade. The two worked together as a family until Robert Arnoux's death in 1995, at which point Florence and Pascal took over the reins of the estate. In 2007, the official name of the estate changed to Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, reflecting this new era. Since 2011, their son Charles Lachaux, representing the sixth generation, has instilled a radically innovative dynamic, propelling the estate to the ranks of the most exciting in all of Burgundy and opening its doors to the greatest tables and cellars in the world.

Terroirs and Vineyards of Domaine Robert Arnoux

The viticultural heritage of Domaine Robert Arnoux (Arnoux-Lachaux) covers 14.5 hectares spread across 15 of the most prestigious appellations of the Côte de Nuits. In Vosne-Romanée, the historic heart of the estate, one finds several village plots (notably Les Hautes Maizières), the Premiers Crus Les Suchots, Les Chaumes, and Aux Reignots, and the mythical Grand Cru Romanée-Saint-Vivant, situated just a few dozen meters downslope from the legendary Romanée-Conti. The estate also cultivates Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Échezeaux Grand Cru, and, since 2008, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru. In addition, there are plots in Nuits-Saint-Georges (Premiers Crus Les Poisets and Les Procès), Chambolle-Musigny, Gevrey-Chambertin, as well as regional appellations.

The soils, typical of the Côte de Nuits, are clay-limestone and marl-limestone on the Premiers and Grands Crus, with specific nuances for each climat. The average age of the vines exceeds 55 years, with certain plots reaching remarkable ages (Romanée-Saint-Vivant cultivated by the family since 1927–1928, old vines of Latricières-Chambertin). Since the arrival of Charles Lachaux in 2011, the estate has undertaken a profound transformation in vineyard management: regenerative agriculture, eco-grazing with sheep in winter, conversion to biodynamics, gobelet pruning, high trellising, and a complete halt to trimming. The emblematic plots (Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Aux Reignots, old vines of Latricières) are ploughed by horse. Pinot Noir, the estate's sole variety, thus expresses its full nobility and precision on these exceptional terroirs.

Winemaking at Domaine Robert Arnoux

In the cellar, the history of the estate unfolds across several successive styles. Under Robert Arnoux, until 1995, winemaking was traditional Burgundian: destemmed grapes, fermentation in vats, classic aging in barrels. Under Pascal Lachaux, from 1995 onwards, the work was refined with a pursuit of fruit purity, more precise aging, and a faithful expression of each climat. This evolution laid the groundwork for the major qualitative leap initiated by the arrival of Charles Lachaux in 2011, who profoundly revolutionized the approach in the cellar.

Today, Charles Lachaux practices winemaking with a very significant proportion of whole-cluster harvest (sometimes 100% depending on the cuvée and the vintage), long and gentle macerations, a measured use of new oak (significantly reduced compared to the previous era), and aging in traditional Burgundian pièces. Fermentations start naturally with indigenous yeasts. The goal is to produce Pinot Noirs of exceptional transparency and digestibility, where each climat speaks clearly.

The Cuvées of Domaine Robert Arnoux

The Bourgogne Pinot Fin (sometimes labeled Bourgogne Rouge) is the estate's entry-level wine. A luminous wine with a powdery texture, remarkable fruit brilliance, fine tannins, and a lovely volume on the palate, it is one of the finest of its kind, far surpassing the level of its appellation.

The Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits is a fresh and precise regional cuvée, produced from high-altitude plots. A lively and crunchy Pinot Noir, endowed with pure fruit and a delicate mineral framework, offering a magnificent introduction to the house style.

The Côte de Nuits-Villages is a historic cuvée of the estate, produced from plots situated in the communes eligible for this appellation. A characterful Pinot Noir, moderate in structure, with aromas of cherry and red fruits, in a sincere and faithful reading of Burgundian Pinot.

The Vosne-Romanée Village is one of the estate's great classics. A Pinot Noir of great breeding, marked by unparalleled elegance, aromas of black cherry, raspberry, and gentle spices, on a fleshy, silky, and profound palate, faithful to the aristocratic nobility of the village.

The Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes Maizières is a village-level cuvée from a privileged lieu-dit. Highly floral, it is a wine with a svelte texture and juicy tannins, whose vibrant and finely stewed fruit evokes crushed strawberry, in a refined and delicate style.

The Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Chaumes is a highly sought-after Premier Cru of the appellation. A silky and limpid Pinot Noir, very savory in its earthy breadth and enveloping flesh that coats the palate, endowed with great aging potential.

The Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots is one of the estate's most emblematic Premiers Crus. This climat, shared with the greatest houses, yields millerandage grapes with thick skins each year, producing a Pinot Noir of great aromatic concentration, with a dense, silky palate and a long, complex finish.

The Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots is a prestigious climat situated on the upper slope, just above the mythical Romanée. A deep and thoroughbred Pinot Noir, marked by exceptional aromatic complexity (humus, minerals, red fruits, spices) and rare harmony. It is one of the emblematic cuvées worked by horse since the transition to Charles Lachaux.

The Chambolle-Musigny Village is an airy and refined Pinot Noir, faithful to the characteristic grace of the appellation. A floral and fruity nose (rose, raspberry, violet), an elegant palate, silky tannins, and a perfumed finish of great elegance.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Village is a structured and profound Pinot Noir, a noble expression of the appellation. A full-bodied wine with aromas of black fruits, spices, and underbrush, underpinned by a solid tannic backbone characteristic of Nuits.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Poisets is one of the estate's most emblematic Premiers Crus. More vigorous in character, it combines powerful chew with caressing flesh, endowed with firm yet buried, harmonious tannins, and a liquorice-tinged finish characteristic of the climat.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Procès is a historic Premier Cru of the estate, situated close to Vosne-Romanée. A Pinot Noir of great breeding, structured, marked by aromas of ripe black fruits and spices, with a noble tannic framework and excellent aging potential.

The Gevrey-Chambertin is a village-level cuvée from plots within the appellation regarded as the king of reds on the Côte de Nuits. A powerful and profound Pinot Noir, marked by complex aromas of black fruits, leather, and spices, in the great tradition of the village.

The Échezeaux Grand Cru is one of the estate's Grands Crus, produced from plots situated in this prestigious climat adjoining Vosne-Romanée. A Pinot Noir of dense and velvety substance, marked by deep aromas of ripe red and black fruits, truffle, and noble spices, with great aging potential.

The Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is one of the estate's major historic cuvées. From this mythical Grand Cru founded by the monks of Cîteaux, the wine offers a deep color, a complex nose of blackcurrant, raspberry, spices, wax, and leather, and a palate of great concentration supported by noble tannins, in the great tradition of age-worthy Clos de Vougeot.

The Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru is one of the most recently acquired Grands Crus (0.53 ha in 2008). A Pinot Noir of great finesse, marked by refined aromas of red and black fruits, flowers, and spices, endowed with a sharp mineral backbone and an aristocratic elegance characteristic of this climat neighbouring Chambertin.

The Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru is the absolute jewel of the estate. From a 0.34-hectare plot cultivated by the Arnoux family since 1927–1928 and worked by horse, situated just a few meters downslope from the Romanée-Conti, this mythical cuvée offers a truly velvety carpet of tannins and a pure, nuanced fruit of phenomenal intensity. A wine of patience that requires time to fully blossom, it is one of the most precious signatures of the Côte de Nuits, sought after by the greatest collectors worldwide.