Enticingly complex and layered with dark raspberries, freshly turned earth, forest floor, ethereal mossy berries, truffles and roses on the nose. This is a deep expression of pinot with lots of red and dark berries that unwind along with the juicy acidity and firm tannins that are seeped into the fruit. So polished, fine and long. Drink or hold.

Great balance again here, with power and weight on the palate, a dark-fruited style and lovely purity. Dark cherry and blackberry leaf on the nose. Needs plenty of time to settle down but should develop very well for the long haul. The harvest started on 12 September, finishing on the 17th.

The most structured and muscular of Domaine de l'Arlot's premiers crus, the 2019 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos des Forêts St Georges wafts from the glass with aromas of cassis, plums, dark berries, raw cocoa and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with lively acids, powdery tannins and a youthfully chalky finish, this is an elegantly muscular wine built to age.

The 2019 Nuits-Saint-Georges Clos de L’Arlot 1er Cru, which contains two-thirds whole bunches, has a very harmonious and pure bouquet with dark cherries, raspberry and pressed rose petal (it does not display any peppery scents that I noticed from barrel). The palate is very well defined with plenty of fruit, a little more rondeur than the 2018, a little spicy and peppery towards the finish with very good persistence. Excellent. Tasted at the Domaine de L’Arlot tasting at La Cabotte in London.

AXA Millésimes' Burgundy property, which has been biodynamic since 2003 and is in the no man’s land of Comblanchien. Creator of the domaine Jean-Pierre de Smet was a big fan of stem inclusion like his friend Jaques Seysses of Domaine Dujac. The current winemaker Géraldine Godot decides on the whole-bunch proportion depending on the vintage and climat. She is especially keen on terroir precision. Wine from this vineyard is earlier-maturing and fruitier than that from Clos de l'Arlot. With a surface area of 7.2 ha (17.8 acres), it covers the entire geological range of Nuits: Ladoix limestone at the bottom, Prémeaux limestone in the middle, and white oolite limestone in the upper part, with some ochre silt in some places. 2019 was so hot that it's a miracle that some very good wines were made. This wine looked very pretty in 2021 and I wondered whether it would go into its shell – but it hasn't. Transparent to mid garnet/ruby. Heady, sumptuous – you already see quite a bit more evolution on the nose than the 2020 served beforehand. Sumptuous with quite a bit of heady development. Beautiful balance and poise. The wine presents the combination of the winemaker's delicate touch and the ripeness of the vintage. A little vegetal interest on the nose (not underripeness but lift). You could already enjoy this! Though it finishes dry and crunchy. (JR)