Maison Arnaud Boué, making some excellent negociant wines in Bourgogne
Arnaud Boué comes from Bourgogne, but didn’t come from a wine family. He did, however, get a degree in enology, and then decided to travel to get some outside experience. This took him to New Zealand and South Africa. ‘It was interesting to see different climates,’ he says.
He returned to Bourgogne, and has been working there for 10 years, with stints in large (Boisset) and small estates (Duband and Lambrays), with experience working organically and conventionally.
In 2018 he had the opportunity to rent a small place, a maison in the Hautes-Côtes, and begin his own project. He made 5000 bottles the first year, and by 2022 had grown this to 20 000 bottles, and along the way he has also picked up 7 hectares of his own vines.
In terms of style, ‘I don’t like very ripe styles,’ he says, noting that some famous winegrowers are making Pinot that’s on its way to being Côte Rôtie. ‘The wines have to be fresh.’ But he also says he is driven by phenolic maturity. ‘We don’t want to harvest at 11% if the maturity isn’t there. We want something ripe.’
‘I like a crisp, fresh mouth, that’s my style,’ he says. ‘The rest is nature and terroir; I am a terroir extremist.’
THE WINES
Arnaud Boué Iconoclaste Cuvée Arthur 2020 Coteaux Bourguignons, France
13.5% alcohol. This is a blend of 66% Pinot Blanc and 34% Aligoté. This is ripe, textured and finely grained with lovely pear and citrus fruit, a slight saltiness, and a good concentration of sweet but focused fruit providing lots of volume in the mouth. Refined, this is all about texture. 93/100
Arnaud Boué Bourgogne Aligoté 2021 France
12% alcohol. There’s nice concentration of flavour here: pear, yellow plum, some grapefruit and orange peel. But there’s a freshness, too. Lovely weight in the mouth with some crystalline citrus around the fringes after some ripe yellow fruit on the mid-palate. There’s even a hint of saltiness. Such finesse, this is a really good Aligoté. 93/100
Arnaud Boué Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2021
12.5% alcohol. Really appealing aromatics of pear and peach with some spicy patisserie notes too. The palate has concentration and freshness, with some lemon and mandarin brightness as well as ripe pear fruit, finishing with lively acidity. Tapering and fine, this is a really appealing white Burgundy with lots of middle and treble in the mix. For 2021, this is excellent. 93/100
Arnaud Boué Coteaux Bourguignons Gamay 2021 France
11.5% alcohol. Organic. This is really supple and bright with sweet strawberry and raspberry fruit, but also a bit of grip. Fresh and detailed with some structure and some dried herbs alongside the sweet fruit. There’s a bit of crunch, and a nice balance between the sweet and savoury elements. 92/100
Arnaud Boué Nuits-Saint-Georges 2021 France
12.5% alcohol. Organic. There’s some savoury, spicy character here with brooding berry and cherry fruit, with nice grainy structure. Has some freshness as well as richness, and a touch of tar and spice on the finish. A classic, well-structured Nuits-Saint-Georges. 92/100
Arnaud Boué Côtes de Nuits Villages 2021 France
12.5% alcohol. Organic. There’s some interesting smoky, spicy detail on the nose here, as well as sweet cherry and strawberry fruit. The palate has nice concentration of bright fruit with some savoury structure and a bit of grip. Lively and detailed with a good combination of sweet fruit and savoury elements. Finishes with some nice tartness and grip. 93/100
