Domaine des Lambrays : Clos des Lambrays Grand cru 2018

Clos des Lambrays is in something of a transitional phase right now, with the departure of one winemaker and the arrival of another, so it will be interesting to see how the style evolves. This is a classically firm, ageworthy expression of the terroir, marked by its 80% whole bunches, which give it a stemmy, peaty, almost Islay malt whisky-like note, a tannic backbone and layers of dark black cherry and damson fruit.

60 m difference in height between the top and the bottom of the Clos. 80% whole bunch and 50% new barrels. Barrel sample. Deeply coloured. Perfumed and dark and rocky on the nose. A hint of pepper but the most elegant, restrained dark-red fruit. Just a touch of oak spice. Savoury spice, not sweet spice. Incredibly tender tannins. They did three punchdowns a day but did not push down to the bottom of the tank. There’s power in the mid-palate but it is delicate on the finish, such tannic finesse that you almost miss the power of the vintage. Darkness to the fruit shows the ripeness. Very, very long and already so elegant. Oak eaten by the fruit. A definite mineral/pepper layer adds to the freshness. Mouth-watering even if the acidity is only moderate (pH 3.65). Well balanced at 13.7%. (JH)

The 2018 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru does not quite have the amplitude of Magnien's Clos Saint-Denis, but it shows more vivacious red fruit, clarifying with aeration and eventually developing quite an ethereal quality. The palate is beautifully balanced, with sappy red fruit laced with white pepper, sage, and graphite notes. Superb structure on the finish—quintessentially Morey-Saint-Denis, with wonderful sappiness. Good wine! Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.

The competition between Clos des Lambrays and Clos de Tart is heating up. Les Lambrays 2018 reaches the full potential allowed by this superb terroir, yielding a wine with breed, smoky hints, and invigorating freshness. On the palate, it is longer than it is broad, mineral, infinitely intense.

A beautifully complex, deep bouquet, still youthful: the wine is nuanced, with an ample tannic frame of sappy, vigorous tannins that perfectly supports the restrained richness of ripe fruit that has retained its freshness. Whole-cluster fermentation brings freshness and savoury energy, with a hint of smoky tea, and happily lengthens the wine’s flavourful thread. This great wine is set to follow in the footsteps of the glorious sun-filled vintages that have marked the estate’s history.

After its fine showing from barrel, the 2018 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru hasn’t quite realized all its promise. Offering up aromas of ripe cherries, berries, spices and orange rind, it’s more obviously marked by cedary new oak than I perceived a year ago, and rustic notes of smoked meats and fresh leather now mingle with its inviting fruit tones. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it concludes with a youthfully chewy, oak-lactone–inflected finish.