Domaine de l'Arlot Bourgogne Rosé 2009

After a visit to see his friend Jacques Seysses at Domaine Dujac in 1977, Jean-Pierre de Smet decided on a late career change: he would study winemaking at the University of Dijon and, while honing his craft with Seysses, search for his own estate. Almost a decade later, de Smet got the call he’d been waiting for. Maison Jules Belin – a 13ha domaine in Nuits-Saint-Georges, which included two prime, 1er Cru monopoles, ‘Clos des Forêts’ and ‘Clos de L’Arlot’ – was looking to sell. With the financial backing of AXA, de Smet pounced. Although dismissive of ‘Clos de L’Arlot’s’ merits when he arrived at the estate, de Smet was soon smitten by this dramatic amphitheatre of vines situated directly behind the property. His sensual (rather than overtly powerful) wines show the efforts of meticulous vineyard work, as well as the influence of Dujac’s whole-cluster style in the cellar.