ARNAUD LOPEZ
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Burgundy
On the contrary of what some think, Arnaud Lopez isn’t a "young talent in the making”, but rather a man of experience who came from a different background to master winemaking in our of the most demanding wine regions in the world.
Originally from Nuits-Saint-Georges, Arnaud Lopez began his career as an educator and it was only at the age of 35 when he decided to take on a new challenge and get into the vineyard work, joining the renowned Prieuré Roch estate in 2007. After ten years of pampering the beautiful plots of this legendary domaine, he decided it was time to run his own tests.
He started by purchasing organic grapes from like-minded fellow growers and releasing his first series of micro cuvées in 2018. The 2020s are therefore his third vintage. Similarly to the previous vintages, the wines show intensity and great energy.
Arnaud is a man of principles who does not deviate from any of the rules he sets himself: all fruit comes from organically-grown vines and more often than not he is the one actually crying out the vineyard work throughout the season. In the cellar he vinifies using whole clusters, favoring long macerations and minimising any sort of intervention. The resulting wines are unique, both dense and mineral, pleasant in youth but certainly made to last over the years.
All wines are made by using whole clusters and ageing is exclusively in old pièces bourguignonne.
Coteaux Bourguignon
Vintage 2020
Style Red
Region Vougeot, Burgundy
Varieties Pinot Noir, Gamay
ABV
Soils Clay, Limestone, Marl
Farming Organic
Winemaking Grapes come from an old vineyard directly opposite to Clos Vougeot Grand Cru co-planted at Pinot and Gamay, respectively 2/3 and 1/3. Cuvaison lasted one month with daily pump overs and a couple of punch downs right before pressing. Whole bunch fermentation. Aged in old Burgundy barrels for up to 10 months.
Tasting Note
Bourgogne, Orpheo
Vintage 2020
Style Red
Region Morey-St-Denis, Burgundy
Varieties Pinot noir
ABV
Soils Clay, Limestone
Farming Organic
Winemaking Whole-cluster fermented in cuve. Maceration was carried out without intervening much for the first week, then alternating punching down and pumping over every other day for the three weeks remaining. Transferred to used barrels after one racking to age for 10 months on fine lees. Bottles unfined, unfiltered and without any inputs (no SO2).
Tasting Note
Bourgogne, Lazaro
Vintage 2020
Style Red
Region Morey-St-Denis, Burgundy
Varieties Pinot Noir
ABV
Soils Clay, Limestone
Farming Organic
Winemaking Lazaro comes from the same terroir as Orpheo, within the Morey-St-Denis AOC, though the vines here are planted on deeper, red-shaded clay soils, that become less red and thinner as go higher up (in the case of Orpheo). The approach in the cellar is exactly the same as his other Bourgogne: four week whole bunch fermentation alternating punch down to pump overs in the last three weeks of maceration. Ageing is in old barrels of 228L.
Tasting Note Very open and generous. It has wonderful weight of ripe, velvety dark fruit with a little spice. Fine tannins and a salty stamp on the finish, typical of Morey.
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits, Pinot Noar
Vintage 2020
Style Red
Region Côtes de Nuits, Burgundy
Varieties Pinot Noir
ABV
Soils Clay, Limestone
Farming Organic, biodynamic practices
Winemaking Harvested and fermented using whole bunches. A rather long maceration combining the daily pigeage to pumpovers for greater extraction. Feeds into old barrles after completing the malolactic where it is kept to age for 10 months.
Tasting Note Dark and rich, reminiscent of the wines Arnaud works with on a daily basis at his day job at Domaine Prieure Roch. Despite the concentration there is a brightness and lightness to it which makes this very quaffable. Generous mulberry and plum followed by lively acidity and a whiff of spice on the finish.
Savigny-les-Beaune
Vintage 2020
Style Red
Region Savigny-les-Beaune, Burgundy
Varieties Pinot Noir
ABV
Soils Clay, Limestone
Farming Biodynamic
Winemaking Arnaud’s top wine is vinified following the exct same steps used for his Hautes-Côtes. The methods are transparent, uncomplicated and aimed at preserving traditions to provide for the purest expression of terroir.
Tasting Note The wine shows good density and purity tending towards black rather than red fruit. Plum, black berries and sweet spice with a cocoa quality towards the finish. Given its concentration and the vintage this will age effortlessly for up to 10-12 years.