Bourgogne Oka 2024 Cyprien Arlaud

The Bourgogne Oka 2024 from Cyprien Arlaud is the most accessible and joyful wine in the range, and the most personal, for its name carries a family story and connection to the land. Oka is the name of Cyprien's sister's horse, a magnificent Auxois who works the domaine's finest parcels with brave patience and determination. This cuvée honours his labour and nobility, values essential to us as farmers. A grower's Bourgogne in every sense of the term: sincere, precise, delicious and alive.

Terroir and vineyard

A tribute to the draught horse who works the parcels of Domaine Arlaud, this cuvée is made from négociant Pinot Noir. These organically farmed vines, around forty years old and planted on clay-limestone soils, are followed closely by Cyprien Arlaud. The wine combines grapes from Bourgogne parcels within the domaine and a selection from other parcels. Manual defoliation. Hand harvested. The fruit is sorted by hand on a sorting table. Gravity-fed into open vats. Spontaneous fermentation driven by natural yeasts on the berries. Fermentation lasts 20 to 25 days. Ageing in oak for 12 to 14 months. With Cyprien Arlaud, oak remains discreet, always in service of balance, creating elegant, vibrant wines capable of ageing with grace.

Tasting profile

Behind a pale robe with garnet glints unfolds an intense nose of small red and dark fruits: plum, blackcurrant, raspberries touched with spice and subtle roasted notes. On the palate, generously fruited yet digestible, precise. A lovely voluptuous finish. The vintage offers a bouquet of dark fruits tinged with iodine and tart redcurrant notes, the Pinot character shines through beautifully. On the palate, fruity flavours tinged with orange zest, ripe and succulent tannins, with a pleasant long and fresh finish. A delicious, fruity wine, ideal to drink young, with cherry and small red fruit notes. A Bourgogne of immediate pleasure, crisp and unpretentious yet with a precision and frankness that faithfully reflect the domaine's identity.

The domaine

Cyprien Arlaud represents the third generation of Domaine Arlaud, founded in 1942 when Burgundian Renée Amiot met Ardéchois Joseph Arlaud. In 2013, Cyprien succeeded his father Hervé and has led the domaine in biodynamics since 2009, becoming the first domaine certified Biodyvin in Morey-Saint-Denis in 2014. Assisted in the vineyard by his sister Bertille and horse Oka, he produces wines of remarkable precision and purity that quickly won over the press and international enthusiasts. No filtration or fining, bottled by gravity following lunar cycles. He practises slow, controlled oxygenation, favouring supple tannins and great finesse. Sulphur is used sparingly, only when necessary.

Food pairings

This Bourgogne Oka pairs beautifully with eggs meurette, duck breast with cherries, homemade shepherd's pie, sausage in pastry, herb-roasted poultry or soft cheeses such as Brie de Meaux or young Époisses. Served between 14 and 16 °C, lightly chilled, it reveals all the crisp fruit and natural frankness of a Bourgogne signed by one of the Côte de Nuits's most principled biodynamic growers, and carried by the silent, courageous labour of a horse.