2023 Clos des Lambrays
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Tasting Notes
Domaine des Lambrays’s flagship Grand Cru is almost, but not quite, a monopole, with an ouvrée – less than 0.2 of the total 8.84 hectares – at the bottom of the clos belonging to Taupenot-Merme. The 2023 is subtle, speaking quietly at first, whispering its sweet fruit, earthiness, spicy intensity and floral lift. On the palate, the wine expands – a crescendo of power and concentration, spreading out across the palate and towards the long finish. There’s a rich creaminess here, before more fruit and then earthy minerality and glorious freshness, with plush, velvet tannins. A gorgeous wine.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Jasper Morris MW, Inside Burgundy
More reviews and scores
The 11 plots were made separately and reunited just before the bottling. The terroir delimited in 1365 rests whole, with nothing declassified. Intense black purple with some glycerol legs. Sweetly dark fruit with the whole bunches hidden. A multitude of different red fruit notes speed across the palate and then the stems do show a little, gracefully, at the finish, along with some oak. As with La Richemone one can see that this vintage is not as concentrated as the previous one, but the wine has been beautifully made with rare distinction. Fine tannins to finish.
Eleven different cuvées combine to form the 2023 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, with every square meter contributing to the blend, to quote Jacques Devauges verbatim (as an aside, this is the same philosophy at Cheval Blanc, which is also on LVMH's mantelpiece). This vintage includes 80% whole bunch and was raised in 60% new oak. The bouquet is very expressive with ebullient red berry fruit, tobacco, forest floor and subtle aromas of ceps. The palate is medium-bodied with fine yet firm tannins that lend backbone and gentle grip. This fans out with style on the sapid finish with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper. The 2023 ranks alongside the 2022 and may even surpass it Prices have skyrocketed in recent years and priced out many Lambrays-lovers, but one cannot deny the quality.
This is the most floral-suffused nose in the range with its range of lilac, violet and rose petal nuances that add elegance to the black cherry liqueur scents. The middle weight flavors are not quite as dense but they are more mineral-driven and more powerful on the moderately austere, dusty and impressively long finale. This is clearly built-to-age but it's not so compact that it couldn't reasonably be enjoyed after 7 to 8 years. Drink 2035+
About the producer
Domaine des Lambrays is one of Morey-Saint-Denis’s most famous estates, its history closely tied to the Grand Cru from which it takes its name – Clos des Lambrays.