Grand Cru, Grand in. Lacy magic from the confident, experienced, but never complacent winemaker, Thierry Brouin. Bright and energetic, this sophisticated red displays a wealth of soft strawberry fruit that, along with a dash of pepper, suffuses the bouquet. It then finishes on a richly satisfying palate of ripe, soft and rounded red fruit.

The Clos des Lambrays in Morey St Denis has been producing fine wine since at least 1363, its quality being recognised by promotion to Grand Cru status in 1981. The estate was purchased in 1996 by the Freund family and since then dramatic changes have taken place, leading to an upsurge in quality. The domaine owns 8.66ha of Clos des Lambrays, making it almost a monopoly – there is one other producer with a few rows of vines at the bottom.

Winemaker Thierry Brouin has been in charge since 1979. The vineyards are run on more or less organic lines, with no chemical anti-rot sprays, and ploughing of the soil by horse. In the cellar, he likes to use the majority of the stems, favours punching down over pumping over, and prefers to restrain the amount of new oak – around 50% for the grand cru.  Domaine des Lambrays produces wines which possess balance, power and finesse and which fully live up to their Grand Cru status.
Lifted, ripe strawberry and redcurrant on the nose, alongside a lack of vanillin spice from the oak. The palate is multi-layered with fine tannins and a core of intense fruit. The finish goes on and on in this very fine effort. A little patience will be required but will be well worth the wait!
Fergus Stewart, BBR Fine Wine

Glowing purple colour with a seductive and complex nose, this Clos des Lambrays has a multi-layered palate that is infused with a generous helping of ripe black fruits. The tannins at the back are perfectly in balance..

This is made with 95 percent whole bunches and 50 percent new wood. With a lovely, noble mid-purple colour, the Clos des Lambrays starts discreetly, like other early-picked wines, then absolutely explodes into action. This is unquestionably glorious in its own classic style – a heavenly wine, in perfect balance. Drink 2024-2035.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

Thierry Brouin, who will be retiring by the end of 2017, appears to be finishing on a high with superb vintages in 2015 and 2016. It is not a large crop in 2015, just 30hl/ha for the Grand Cru, but – like everybody else – Thierry appreciated the long, sunny summer and the healthy grapes. As always, he was amongst the earliest pickers, starting on 3rd September. 

Despite the youth of this wine its heady intensity is a glorious harbinger of things to come. Chilled black cherries and loganberries are kept fresh by good acidity and the tannins are firm but fully ripe. This is a wine for the long term. Drink 2015-2025.

All the stems were used in vinification but, such is the intensity of the fruit, they don’t show. This is a rich, plump purple with a surfeit of ripe, velvety red fruit. It is very clean, very pure and very direct: lots of stuffing and lots of stems give this a very tight profile for the moment. This will take a bit longer than some vintages – but promises to be first rate.

Thierry Brouin, whose successor at the Domaine des Lambrays is about to be unveiled, is very happy with 2014, his 36th vintage in charge here. He began picking on 22nd September, relatively late by his standards, and is happy to have produced a little more wine this year (with the exception of the Premier Cru).

Very heady, fine, ripe, graceful fruit dominates here, with the stems beautifully integrated. A refreshing touch of acidity at the back of the palate enhances the experience of this brilliant wine which finishes in a state of grace and elegance.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Maintaining his reputation as being one of the early pickers, Thierry Brouin, the experienced régisseur of Domaine des Lambrays, started on 22nd September in fine weather. He loves this vintage and with good reason. The Clos des Lambrays in particular is a sublime wine. But as with most domaines in 2010, yields are significantly down.