Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux

The domaine was founded in 1858 in Vosne-Romanée and was once known as Domaine Robert Arnoux; it has remained in family hands since its founding. In 1987 Florence Arnoux, daughter of Robert Arnoux, married Pascal Lachaux, a former pharmacist, and the estate adopted the double-barrelled name Arnoux-Lachaux. Pascal ran the estate until 2015, when he handed it entirely to his son Charles, who had been working at the domaine since 2011.

• Founded 1858 in Vosne-Romanée; once known as Domaine Robert Arnoux; in family hands since its founding.
• 1987: Florence Arnoux married Pascal Lachaux, a former pharmacist, and the estate took the name Arnoux-Lachaux.
• 2015: Pascal handed the estate entirely to Charles, at the domaine since 2011.

Florence Arnoux-Lachaux heads the estate, with her eldest son Charles Lachaux at her side. Charles arrived at the domaine in 2011 and cites Lalou Bize-Leroy as his mentor. He also runs a négoce business under his own name. In 2023 Charles and Florence signed an exclusive direct-to-consumer distribution deal for the domaine's wines with the fine wine members' platform Crurated; the domaine kept its French direct customers and continued to work with importers for restaurants, and its UK partnership with Corney & Barrow ended.

• Head of the estate: Florence Arnoux-Lachaux, with her eldest son Charles Lachaux at her side.
• Charles Lachaux: at the domaine since 2011; cites Lalou Bize-Leroy as his mentor; runs a négoce business under his own name.
• 2023: exclusive direct-to-consumer distribution deal with Crurated; French direct customers kept and importers retained for restaurants.

The estate farms 14 hectares, based in Vosne-Romanée with holdings in other Côte de Nuits appellations, particularly Nuits-Saint-Georges. The four grands crus are Romanée-Saint-Vivant, where the oldest vines were planted in 1923; Echézeaux, a 0.8-hectare parcel on the mid-slope in Les Rouges du Bas; Clos de Vougeot, in the Quartier de Marei Haut; and Latricières-Chambertin in Gevrey-Chambertin, a parcel bought in 2007 whose first vintage was 2009. The five premiers crus are Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots (a 0.43-hectare parcel at the very top of the climat, in Les Grands Suchots, with vines planted in 1921), Aux Reignots (a 0.2-hectare plot next to the grand cru La Romanée) and Les Chaumes (a 0.74-hectare parcel), and Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Procès and Clos des Corvées Pagets, the domaine's most southerly appellation. Village wines come from Vosne-Romanée, including Les Hautes Maizières; from Nuits-Saint-Georges, including Les Poisets, from 60-year-old vines under Les Cailles; and from Chambolle-Musigny, where eight parcels on a north-east hillside all face north. The Bourgogne Pinot Fin usually comes from vines in the communes of Chambolle, Vosne and Nuits.

• Grands crus: Romanée-Saint-Vivant (oldest vines planted 1923), Echézeaux (0.8 ha, Les Rouges du Bas), Clos de Vougeot (Quartier de Marei Haut), Latricières-Chambertin (bought 2007; first vintage 2009).
• Premiers crus: Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots (0.43 ha, vines planted 1921), Aux Reignots (0.2 ha, next to La Romanée), Les Chaumes (0.74 ha); Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Procès and Clos des Corvées Pagets.
• Villages: Vosne-Romanée (including Les Hautes Maizières), Nuits-Saint-Georges (including Les Poisets) and Chambolle-Musigny; regional Bourgogne Pinot Fin.

Since Charles arrived in 2011 the domaine has put in place regenerative farming, eco-grazing, biodynamics, gobelet pruning, high trellising and a complete stop to shoot trimming. In 2015 the domaine changed its pruning and allowed the height of its training to increase. By 2019 treatments were essentially organic, and the domaine was doubling the planting density in a parcel within Aux Reignots as an experiment. Vinification has been in whole clusters since 2012, with short cuvaisons and very little intervention; in 2015 seven cuvées were 100% whole cluster, with an average of 60% across the range. By 2019 new oak had been cut to a maximum of 20% for the premiers crus and 30% for the grands crus, and from the 2022 harvest stoneware vessels replaced all oak barrels for élevage. Frost in 2016 cost the domaine roughly 60% of a normal year's volume and two appellations entirely, including Clos de Vougeot.

• Regenerative farming, eco-grazing, biodynamics, gobelet pruning, high trellising, no shoot trimming.
• Pruning changed and training height raised in 2015; planting density doubled in one Aux Reignots parcel as an experiment.
• Whole-cluster vinification since 2012; short cuvaisons; stoneware vessels in place of all oak barrels from the 2022 harvest.
• 2016 frost: roughly 60% of a normal year's volume lost, and two appellations entirely, including Clos de Vougeot.

The range comprises Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Echézeaux, Clos de Vougeot Quartier de Marei Haut and Latricières-Chambertin at grand cru level; Vosne-Romanée Les Grands Suchots, Aux Reignots and Les Chaumes and Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Procès and Clos des Corvées Pagets at premier cru level; Vosne-Romanée, Vosne-Romanée Les Hautes Maizières, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Poisets and Chambolle-Musigny at village level; and a Bourgogne Pinot Fin. Volumes have fallen as the vineyard methods changed: the domaine produced about seven barrels of village Chambolle-Musigny in 2020, against 30 in earlier vintages. Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, recorded a 487.2% rise in average prices across the domaine and négoce wines in the year to 30 September 2022.

• Grands crus: Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Echézeaux, Clos de Vougeot Quartier de Marei Haut, Latricières-Chambertin.
• Premiers crus: Vosne-Romanée Les Grands Suchots, Aux Reignots, Les Chaumes; Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Procès, Clos des Corvées Pagets.
• Villages and regional: Vosne-Romanée, Les Hautes Maizières, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Les Poisets, Chambolle-Musigny, Bourgogne Pinot Fin.

The domaine states its aim as translating the expression of each terroir to produce Pinot Noir 'that cause emotions and pleasure.' Writing in Decanter in 2019, Stephen Brook contrasted the generations: 'Whereas his father’s wines had been powerful and oaky, these show more intensity and refinement.'

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.arnoux-lachaux.com/ and its English-language home page text, served from https://www.arnoux-lachaux.com/js/app.min.482abc5e.js. Secondary sources: Decanter (Stephen Brook, 30 March 2019: https://www.decanter.com/premium/domaine-arnoux-lachaux-tasting-the-2017s-411004/; Chris Mercer, 14 June 2023: https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/domaine-arnoux-lachaux-signs-exclusive-distribution-deal-with-crurated-505765/) and Burgundy Report (22 November 2016: https://www.burgundy-report.com/burgundy-report-extra/11-2016/arnoux-lachaux-2015/). Last verified 2026-10-14. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.