Charles Lachaux Cote de Nuits-Villages Aux Montagnes, Burgundy, France 2023

Charles Lachaux is one of Burgundy’s most exciting up-and-coming winemakers today. In addition to running his family winery, Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Charles founded his eponymous micro-négociant label a few years back, which is based in the heart of the hallowed Vosne-Romanée appellation.

Côte de Nuits-Villages “Aux Montagnes” 2023 is a lively, terroir-expressive Pinot Noir that reflects the energy and finesse of northern Burgundy at the village level. Made with whole-cluster fermentation and gentle, low-intervention élevage, it offers bright red fruit aromas—think cherry and raspberry—lifted by floral hints and a subtle mineral undercurrent. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied and focused, with crisp acidity, fine chalky tannins and a refreshing, saline-tinged finish. Elegant and expressive, it’s both immediately appealing and well suited to short- to medium-term aging.

Charles Lachaux started his micro-négoce because of Aligoté. The Arnoux family has Aligoté and used to bottle it, but at some point it was deemed unworthy, and the grapes were sold off to négociants. Charles wanted to vinify those grapes again. So Charles started a micro-négoce to purchase the grapes from the domaine instead...Acquaintances of Charles who had recently taken over domaines from their parents were pouring their hearts and sweat into conscientious viticulture. They were sad to see their grapes go to much larger négociants where they would be blended into large cuvées. When they heard that Charles had started a négoce, they offered him some.....In Comblanchien, this lieu-dit is located at the top of the slope, facing east. White stony soils over limestone bedrock.