Domaine de Lambrays is one of Burgundy’s oldest, dating back to the 14th century when it belonged to the Abbey Citeaux, and monks tended the vines. After the French Revolution, however, the vineyard was confiscated and sold to 75 different owners.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that the estate was pieced back together again, by a stream of owners who, despite their efforts in reconstituting the property, left it largely abandoned. It was then bought by the Sair brothers in 1979, and with the help of winemaker Thierry Brouin the team began modernising and replanting. In 1981, the domaine was granted Grand Cru status.
The domaine encompasses the entirety of Clos des Lambrays, bar 0.18 hectares belonging to neighbour Domaine Taupenot Merme, making it a virtual monopole vineyard – although the company also owns vines in Morey, Puligny Montrachet, les Folatieres and Clos du Cailleret.
In 2014, luxury goods group LVMH bought the Clos des Lambrays for an undisclosed sum (rumoured to be in the region of £80m), adding to their portfolio of vineyards and wineries, and making their first step in Burgundian wine. Brouin, winemaker since 1979, remains at the helm of operations today.
Originated from the almost monopoly of the estate within the Grand Cru, the Clos des Lambrays by Domaine des Lambrays is a wide ownership, if you compared it to Bourgogne scale. The plot is far from homogeneous. Its smooth slopes offer a diversity of sun exposures that are key for the complexity of the wine. At the top, the Clos is composed mainly of marls whereas the bottom clay mixes with limestone.
Wine is being aged within the Domaine’s underground cellars in oak barrels, half of which being renewed every year. As Clos des Lambrays is the heart of the Domaine des Lambrays, this website is dedicated to it.
Appellation:
AOC Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, Bourgogne
Country of Origin:
Burgundy, France
Type:
Red/Rouge (Still)
Grape Variety:
Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes:
An intensely floral and spicy nose that is wonderfully elegant and admirably pure speaks of red currant, blue berry, game, smoke and warm earth. The silky-textured, precise and mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors possess copious extract that does a fine job of buffering the very firm tannins and allowing for perfect balance on the mouth coating and impressively persistent finish. A seductive and relatively accessible Clos des Lambrays that should be approachable with only a decade of cellar time yet last for 25 to 40 years.
