Domaine des Lambrays : Clos des Lambrays Grand cru 2019

The deep purple/ruby colour of the 2019 and the intense blackberry and cassis fruit aromas speak to the youthful vibrancy of this impressive wine. The tannins are firm but not astringent, and a lively acidity balances the abundant extract. The wine was the first vintage of organic conversion; this and the difficult flowering meant a crop reduced by half. The grapes were picked from 13-17 September; 80% were fermented as whole clusters to produce this memorable wine with a lingering finish. Despite its power, there is still finesse and elegance.

Spot-on balance with rich fruit, but it’s not as extreme as the 2020. A refined, mossy nose brimming with subtle sweet berries that mix red and black fruit. A subtle, smoky edge gives another aspect to the evolving aromas and flavors. Round and ripe but really fresh and delineated, with lovely finesse. Drink now or hold.

Lower yields both by Nature and intentionally. Organic vines were converted to biodynamics in April 2020, which reduced yields further. 80% whole bunch, 60% new oak. Cask sample. Silky texture on the nose. Quite lifted with that hint of cassis that is evident in many 2019s. Manages to exhibit both structure and finesse. Restrained and subtle. (JR)

The 2019 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru has a very typical bouquet for the vineyard: quite floral in style and predominantly red-fruited, with touches of kirsch and black truffle shavings and a light marine scent that emerges with time. The palate has a sweet core of fruit that lends this Morey an almost Vosne-like allure. The whole-bunch is very well integrated. This is a better showing than at the Burgfest tasting just a couple of months earlier. Tasted at the Clos des Lambrays vertical in Morey-Saint-Denis.

2019 extends 2018 with impressive density; it is powerful, sappy, and mineral. Leave it in the cellar for years, as this cru will only reveal its full potential with time.

An extra touch of freshness in this grand cru, whose dazzling purity of flavor unfolds with disarming naturalness. The complexity of this truly great wine, aged with millimetric precision, bursts forth with aeration and lingers in an moving, endless finish, unmatched here in our view since the glorious vintages of the mid-20th century.

The 2019 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru is showing very well in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries, strawberries and plums mingled with scents of orange rind, rose petals and sweet spices. Full-bodied, ample and satiny, it's a sensual, caressing wine with a fleshy core of fruit, polished tannins and lively balancing acids. This will offer a broad drinking window.