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 this occasion, giving birth to a new wine estate on one of the world's most prestigious terroirs. From this union, Robert Arnoux was born in 1931, and he took over the estate at the age of 26 in 1957, following 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 climats 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 estate's official name 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 the doors of the world's greatest restaurants and cellars.

Terroirs and Vines 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 Premier Crus Les Suchots, Les Chaumes and Aux Reignots, and the mythical Grand Cru Romanée-Saint-Vivant, located just a few dozen metres downstream from the legendary Romanée-Conti. The estate also cultivates Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, Échezeaux Grand Cru and, since 2008, Latricières-Chambertin Grand Cru. Added to these are plots in Nuits-Saint-Georges (Premier 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 Premier and Grand 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 Charles Lachaux's arrival in 2011, the estate has undertaken a profound transformation in vine management: regenerative agriculture, eco-grazing with sheep in winter, conversion to biodynamics, gobelet training, high trellising, and a complete halt to green trimming. The iconic plots (Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Aux Reignots, old vines of Latricières) are ploughed by horse. Pinot Noir, the estate's sole variety, thus expresses all its nobility and precision on these exceptional terroirs.

Winemaking at Domaine Robert Arnoux

In the cellar, the estate's history 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 paved the way for the major qualitative leap initiated by the arrival of Charles Lachaux in 2011, who revolutionized the cellar's approach in depth.

Today, Charles Lachaux practices winemaking with a very significant proportion of whole-cluster harvest (sometimes 100% depending on the cuvée and vintage), long and gentle macerations, a measured use of new oak (significantly reduced compared to the previous era) and aging in traditional Burgundian barrels. 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 labelled Bourgogne Rouge) is the estate's entry-level wine. A luminous wine with a powdery texture, displaying a remarkable brilliance of fruit, fine tannins and a lovely volume on the palate, it is one of the finest of its kind, comfortably surpassing the level of its appellation.

The Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits is a fresh and precise regional cuvée, crafted 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, crafted from plots located in the communes eligible for this appellation. A characterful Pinot Noir, moderate structure, aromas of cherry and red fruits, in a sincere and faithful expression of Burgundian Pinot.

The Vosne-Romanée Village is one of the estate's great classics. A Pinot Noir of great breed, marked by unparalleled elegance, aromas of black cherry, raspberry and soft spices, on a fleshy, silky and deep 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 flavoursome in its earthy breadth and enveloping flesh that coats the palate, endowed with great ageing potential.

The Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Suchots is one of the estate's iconic Premier Crus. This climat, shared with the greatest houses, produces millerandage grapes with thick skins every year, yielding 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 located on the upper part of the hillside, 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 iconic cuvées worked by horse since the arrival of Charles Lachaux.

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

The Nuits-Saint-Georges Village is a structured and deep Pinot Noir, a noble expression of the appellation. A full-bodied wine with aromas of dark fruit, spices and undergrowth, underpinned by a solid tannic framework characteristic of Nuits.

The Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Les Poisets is one of the estate's iconic Premier Crus. More full-blooded, it combines vigorous chewiness and caressing flesh, with firm yet embedded tannins, harmonious, with a characteristic liquorice finish typical of the climat.

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

The Gevrey-Chambertin is a village-level cuvée sourced from plots within the flagship red wine appellation of the Côte de Nuits. A powerful and deep Pinot Noir, marked by complex aromas of dark fruit, leather and spices, in the great tradition of the village.

The Échezeaux Grand Cru is one of the estate's Grand Crus, crafted 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 dark fruits, truffle and noble spices, with great ageing potential.

The Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru is one of the estate's major historic cuvées. Sourced from this mythical Grand Cru founded by the monks of Cîteaux, the wine offers a deep colour, a complex nose of blackcurrant, raspberry, spices, wax and leather, and a palate of great concentration underpinned 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 Grand Crus (0.53 ha in 2008). A Pinot Noir of great finesse, marked by refined aromas of red and dark fruits, flowers and spices, with a sharp mineral framework and an aristocratic elegance characteristic of this climat neighbouring Chambertin.

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