Clos des Lambrays, Burgundy: 10 Lovely Wines To Buy in 2024, Terroir
Clos des Lambrays, situated in Morey St Denis, is one of Burgundy’s most exquisite Grand Cru vineyards for Pinot Noir red wines.
Domaine des Lambrays owns a significant portion of this Grand Cru vineyard, while Domaine Taupenot-Merme maintains a tiny plot. (So it’s almost a monopole of Domaine des Lambrays.)
It is now owned by Bernard Arnault's luxury group Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH.)
Let’s discover everything about Clos des Lambrays wines, the best wines, their tasting notes, prices, food pairing ideas, and investment potential.
Also, explore the region’s stunning terroir and winemaking practices.
Further reading
- Here's a list of 13 Impressive Burgundy Wines to uncork in 2024.
- Add grandeur to your festivities with these 8 Grand Cru Wines.
Clos des Lambrays: Wine Characteristics and Food Pairings
Famously described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” Clos des Lambrays wines perfectly showcase the brilliance of Burgundy’s Pinot Noir grapes.
This Grand Cru wine is admired for its complex, elegant structure and rich palate that reveals intense black fruit flavor.
You can relish this red wine alongside main courses of beef, veal, deer, venison, duck, and goose.
10 Best Clos des Lambrays Wines (Including Tasting Notes, Prices)
Here are the best Clos des Lambrays wines to indulge in this season:
- 1921 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 1919 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 1937 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 1949 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 1959 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 2005 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 1951 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 2016 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 2017 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
- 1977 Héritiers Cosson Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
1. 1921 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($5,629)
This wine opens with the enticing aromas of forest floor, bell pepper, and cassis. It has an elegant palate with polished tannins.
2. 1919 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($4,976)
Characterized by fine tannin and fruit flavors, this red wine has the intense fragrance of black cherries, blueberries, and tangerine.
3. 1937 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($3,297)
Here we have a fine wine exuding red fruit, baking spice, and licorice aroma. The palate encapsulates great earthy flavors and gives way to a smooth finish.
4. 1949 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($2,308)
The 1949 vintage opens with hints of cassis, red cherry, roses, and cocoa. The palate reveals crisp tannin and fruit flavors, like the Italian wine Barolo.
5. 1959 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($1,561)
This red wine has an intoxicating nose of cherry, blackcurrant, and leather aromas. The palate has soft tannins with dominant notes of herb and minerals.
6. 2005 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($971)
Incredibly smooth and elegant, this bottle of Clos des Lambrays carries notes of delicate oak spices. The palate reveals polished tannins and gives way to a lengthy finish.
7. 1951 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($761)
Characterized by smooth tannins, this fine wine packs cedar, cassis, and tar tasting notes. The palate indicates fine tannin with subtle hints of minerality.
8. 2016 Domaine Taupenot-Merme Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($454)
Here we have an exceptional wine featuring dominant flavors of cranberry, strawberry, and orange pith. The medium-bodied palate has crisp tannin and smooth acidity.
9. 2017 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($309)
This wine is enriched with blackcurrants, tobacco, and dark chocolate notes. The palate reveals velvety tannins and concentrated red fruit flavors, giving way to a smooth finish.
10. 1977 Héritiers Cosson Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru ($145)
This red wine bottle opens with a bouquet of dried herbs, leather, tobacco, and dark cherry. It has low tannin levels and medium acidity.
Investing In Clos des Lambrays Wines
The Clos des Lambrays wines from Cote de Nuits can develop complex notes with age, over 10-15 years - one of the reasons its highly acclaimed by wine critics.
For example:
- William Kelley gave the 2017 vintage 93 points, whereas Wine Spectator gave it 87 points.
- The 2019 vintage produced by Domaine des Lambray got 94 points from William Kelley and was described as ‘deep and multidimensional.’
With Bernard Arnault-owned Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton recently purchasing Domaine Des Lambrays, the wine has become a sought-after choice among luxury wine lovers.
Not only this, but the price of these Grand Crus consistently increase with age.
- The 1949 vintage of Domaine des Lambrays showed a 65% price increase, from $1,397 in 2021 to $2,310 in 2022.
- The price of the 2012 Domaine des Lambrays vintage increased by nearly 39% within a year - from $243 in 2021 to $337 in 2022.
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Now let’s take a deeper look at this prestigious vineyard.
Clos des Lambrays: Vineyards and Winemaking
Clos des Lambrays stretches across 8.84 hectares. The Grand Cru vineyard lies atop the hilly terrain of Côte de Nuits, allowing the vines to enjoy favorable growing conditions.
The Pinot Noir vines are split into three plots - Meix Rentier, Les Larrets, and Les Bouchots. Grapes from Les Bouchots are usually picked at the end of the harvest.
The diverse terroir of the three vineyards contributes to the production of outstanding Pinot Noir.
The Domaine des Lambrays winery maintains 8.66 hectares of the Clos des Lambrays vineyard. Their wines are regal expressions of Burgundy’s winemaking practices that entail careful selection of grapes and the right wine barrel.
The winemaker retains most of the fruit stems during vinification and prefers punching down the grape bunch to release more juice. The winery uses 50% new oak barrels for flavor development.
Besides Clos des Lambrays, the Morey St Denis appellation is home to Grands Cru like Clos de Tart, Clos Saint Denis, and Clos de la Roche.
A Brief History of Clos des Lambrays
The earliest reference of Clos des Lambrays dates back to 1365 in the ancient literature of the Abbey of Cîteaux. Over the years, the Clos des Lambrays has passed through several owners and winemakers.
In 1938, Renée Cosson inherited the Clos des Lambrays before it was purchased by Roland de Chambure and the Saier brothers in 1979.
The Saier brothers worked alongside winemaker Thierry Brouin, and they played a vital role in reinstating the wine to its former glory. As a result, the Premier Cru vineyard of Clos Des Lambrays was bestowed the Grand Cru status in 1981.
In 2014, the CEO of Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault, acquired Domaine des Lambray for €100M and claimed the ownership of one of Burgundy’s oldest Grands Cru.
Soon Boris Champy was appointed as the winemaker in 2017. In early 2019, Boris Champy was succeeded by Jacques Devauges.
Liven Up Your Celebrations With Clos des Lambrays Wines!
Clos des Lambrays wines represent the pinnacle of Burgundy winemaking.
Blessed with a bountiful terroir and prosperous proprietors, the region has all the advantages of producing delicate wines loved by all!
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