Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru "Clos des Forêts" Monopole 2008, Domaine de l'Arlot

The fact that we tasted this wine is a great example of how Burgundy tastings often progress. There was a sense on arrival that we shouldn't really have been at the domaine, burning up the time of the wine-maker and imbibing top quality wines for free (domaines don't have a license to charge for wine-tastings). But after 45 minutes, the wine-maker realized that we had been tasting for 20 years on the Côte and was keen to share a broader range of wines. Amazingly, this Monopole is a whopping 7.2 hectares, which is as large as a small domaine in Burgundy. More than 15 hectares is considered a large estate. This NSG 1er Cru is direct and pure. Glorious flavours of raspberry and blackberry. Great structure, linearity, very fresh berries, fine, good grip, firey on the palate. This is a brilliant wine and a standard bearer for the ultra-classic 2008 vintage. Which I am sure will prove to be one of the best in the last 20 years. Photo shows the happy tasters at the domaine.