Tasting Notes
Vinous 90-92
(Lachaux purchased just over a half-hectare of 53-year-old vines from Christopher Newman) Good medium red. Nose offers dark cherry, smoky oak and complex soil tones. At once dense and energetic, conveying an impression of rather strong energy from the combination of firm acids and underlying minerality. In a cooler, almost peppery style, with the wine’s acidity carrying the finish. More austere than most of Lachaux’s wines from Vosne-Romanee
Robert Parker 91
From a little over one acre of 52 year-old vines that Lachaux just acquired in a swap with long-time ex-pat vigneron Christopher Newman, the Arnoux 2008 Latricieres-Chambertin leads with scents of pungently smoky peat, mouth-watering soy, and concentrated red fruits, all of which then inform a palate of redoubtable density and tanninity. There is a certain somber impressiveness here even if little enticement or charm and to call the finish palate-staining is understatement. It’s an expensive ticket and an inaugural ride, but if you hang on for 6-8 years you might well be rewarded with a memorable experience, though one will want to consider this Pinot’s brooding personality in choosing what sort of animal sacrifice to make on its behalf.
