A New Chapter Begins
Though the domaine traces its roots back to 1858 and has made good wine in the past, the modern renaissance of Arnoux‑Lachaux began when Charles Lachaux – sixth generation – was taking over winemaking around 2012, with full creative control arriving by 2015. His tenure marks a profound shift: vineyard work informed by Lalou Bize-Leroy’s biodynamic methods, intensely reduced yields, higher-density plantings, vines with no trimming on top, and no-till farming – all aimed at letting terroir speak. This shift yielded both remarkably expressive fruit and tiny crop levels, often with final yields around 15 hl/ha.
Viticulture Redefined
Under Charles’s eye, the estate’s viticulture was revolutionized. He late-prunes to promote deeper roots, trains vines high to enhance photosynthesis, and employs grass cover until roll‑down to suppress frost – as mentioned methods inspired by Bize-Leroy and surprisingly never adopted broadly despite the success of Leroy. Many parcels are now planted at 20,000 vines/ha, with no hedging to not disturb the plants (up to 190cm tall plants), no training via cains and almost no tillage. Today, 14.5 ha under his care (16 different wines) are farmed organically and biodynamically, and the team has more than doubled to twelve hands to manage the labor-intensive canopy work. This conversion needs much more staff, Charles told us, that he went from 8 to 24 people in the vineyard and in the beginning, it was hard to find believers in his methods. Now he has a deeply committed team and they stuck to their knitting even in 2024 when he paid a high price for it, loosing 96% of the harvest to mildew.
Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée St.Vivant vineyard vs. the standard practice in Burgundy
Minimalist Cellar, Maximum Expression
The changes extend to the cellar: maceration times are extremely short, extraction light, and whole‑cluster fermentation is almost universal – up to 100% for grands crus. Oak use has plummeted – capped at ~30% new for Grand Crus, less for lesser levels and from 2020 onward, all red wines have been raised entirely in sandstone ceramic vessels, not oak, to preserve purity of site and ensure homogeneity barrel‑to‑barrel. His cellar looks completely different than any other I have seen.
Cellar with ceramic amphora instead of barrels
Critics applaud the changes, prices hit stratospheric heights
William Kelley was one of the first to notice Charles’s masterstroke in a series of articles and videos: praising the tensile, vibrant, and intensely expressive 2019s and elevating the domaine’s 2020 wines as some of the finest yet. Jasper Morris MW, in his new Inside Burgundy edition, also elevated Arnoux‑Lachaux to the realm of the region’s elite saying the domaine has unequivocally joined the greats with a faultless array of stunning wines in 2019, hitting heights of ethereal elegance without sacrificing power. I concur with this assessment and would even go one step further:
Lalou-Bize Leroy makes the best wines in Burgundy – if there is one person to get to these heights in our generation, it is likely to be Charles Lachaux
Since these dramatic shifts – particularly the 2018 vintage – Arnoux‑Lachaux’s market value has soared. Prices for even village‑level wines have jumped 10×, prompting some concern of a pricing bubble. Yields are minuscule – just ~25,000 bottles annually – and allocations remain tight. According to Wine Advocate, this is “one of the Côte’s most progressive and meticulous, organic vineyard management programs,” but also likely to remain exclusive given its radical costs and complexity.
Charles Lachaux explaining his methods in the vineyard and the cellar
Label Mess sorted out
I never understood the urge of Burgundy estates to constantly change their labels. I said it many times before and will repeat it again here: it is a mistake! The best and most iconic wines of the world never change their labels. Armand Rousseau, Lafite Rotschild, Chave Hermitage, Chateau Rayas, Romanée-Conti all keep their labels untouched over decades, even centuries and have thus become highly recognizable icons. So, my heart sank when I saw Arnoux-Lachaux changing its label in 2007, especially since the new one looked very generic, like any wine from Chile or California. Luckily in 2018 with the completion to the viticultural transformation, the label changed back and now looks closer to the original Robert Arnoux Label, albeit with a blue color scheme. I hope that the estate will now stick to this label – for good.
Consumer confusion: The Domaine changed labels three times in the last 20 years, not something I would recommend
I felt it to be a privilege to spend time with Charles because what he has achieved at Domaine since 2015 is nothing short of spectacular. He’s redefined Burgundian winemaking – from vine to barrel – earning both critical acclaim and collector attention. While the estate’s wines now fetch some of the highest prices, the excitement is rooted not in hype, but in transformative quality and uncompromising terroir expression.
Tasting Notes
2023 Arnoux-Lachaux Bourgogne Pinot Fin, 94 Points
Amphora sample. A strikingly perfumed and expressive rendition of Pinot Fin, delivering a soaring bouquet of blue fruits, peony, and crushed violets, interwoven with savory whole-cluster inflections of rose stem, forest floor, and spice. The palate is impressively concentrated for its level, with fine but assertive tannins that still display a little youthful grip. A wine of real substance and aromatic lift that would easily pass for a Premier Cru in a blind tasting; it brings to mind the early work of Bizot or the stylistic grace of the wines of Lalou Bize-Leroy. 94-95
2023 Arnoux-Lachaux Nuits St. Georges, 94 Points
Amphora sample. Mirroring the expressive signature of the domaine’s Bourgogne, this Nuits-Saint-Georges delivers an intense aromatic profile of violets, blue fruit, and earthy, sauvage nuances. The palate is supple and sapid, with beautifully integrated whole-cluster character and tannins that are fine-boned and powdery rather than rustic – a notable achievement in this appellation. Long and characterful, this is a superb village wine that outperforms its designation. 94-95
2023 Arnoux-Lachaux Clos Vougeot Quartier de Marei Haut, 95 Points
Amphora sample. A delicate, unusually transparent expression of this storied grand cru, the 2023 Clos de Vougeot opens in the glass with notes of wild berries, blackberry compote, violets, and sous-bois, complemented by the domaine’s signature aromatic lift from whole bunches. Less muscular than some renditions from this site, it’s strikingly elegant and light-footed, calling to mind a 2021 in its filigree frame and perfumed charm. Complex and persistent, this is a Clos de Vougeot of finesse rather than power.
2023 Arnoux-Lachaux Romanée St. Vivant, 98 Points
Amphora Sample. A thrilling wine that exemplifies the domaine’s transformation under Charles Lachaux, the 2021 Romanée-Saint-Vivant offers a kaleidoscopic nose of dark berries, pine resin, rose petal, and exotic spices. On the palate, it’s satiny and seamless, with melting tannins, vibrant acids, and a strikingly ethereal profile that is at once perfumed and profound. The delicacy and nuance here are compelling, another step up from the other already excellent wines; this is Grand Cru Burgundy at its most refined. 97-99
2013 Arnoux-Lachaux Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Reignots, 95 Points
Tasted from a bottle predating Charles Lachaux’s viticultural revolution, the 2013 Reignots nevertheless impresses for its depth and aromatic complexity. The bouquet is marked by sweet red fruit, rose petal, toffee, and baking spices, with more overt oak influence than in recent vintages. The palate is supple and open-knit, the tannins resolved, and the whole-cluster component lending freshness and intrigue. Fascinating to compare the two eras and its approaches.
An extension of the winery is under way
Author: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
July 2025