A recent tasting, held by The Birley Wine Club at London’s glamorous private members club Annabel’s, offered a rare opportunity to taste mature vintages from famed Burgundy estate Domaine des Lambrays.
The tasting was introduced by Gearoid Devaney MS, DWWA judge and director of Burgundy specialist Flint Wines which recently became the exclusive importer of the domaine’s wines into the UK.
The history of Clos de Lambrays
Clos des Lambrays is a grand cru vineyard which dates back to at least 1363. It is now the largest solely-owned grand cru within the Côte d’Ôr, currently under the care of Domaine des Lambrays.
The vineyard was broken up after the French Revolution into 74 different parcels. It was slowly rebuilt by a succession of various negociants and families in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The process was far from straightforward. Under-investment resulted in a lack of replanting and declining yields.
Domaine des Lambrays’ recent recovery dates back to its purchase in 1979 by a consortium headed up by the Saier brothers from Alsace. The team was then bolstered with the appointment of winemaker Thierry Brouin.
Vineyard location and ascension to grand cru
As the Clos des Lambrays vineyard was designated premier cru at this time, an application was put in for elevation to grand cru status. This was granted on 27 April 1981.
The grand cru vineyard areas of Clos de Tart and Clos des Lambrays are situated in Morey-Saint-Denis, adjoining each other.
To the north lie the grand cru vineyards of Clos Saint-Denis and Clos de la Roche. Bonnes Mares is situated at the same elevation, but lies beyond Clos de Tart to the south.
This is undoubtedly fine wine territory, therefore it’s surprising that Clos des Lambrays only gained its grand cru in 1981.
The price of a grand cru vineyard
Investment continued apace in both vineyard and estate, followed by the sale of the estate in 1996 to the Freund family from Germany, for US$9m.
Domaine des Lambrays then hit the headlines after its sale to LVMH in 2014 for €101m. Not bad for a domaine of just 10ha.
But the sale of Clos de Tart to François Pinault, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault’s arch-rival, surpassed this lofty sum.
The exact amount was not revealed, but is believed to be in the league of €250m. Around €30m per hectare.
Since the acquisition by LVMH, the winemaker at Domaine des Lambrays has changed several times. The current winemaker, Jacques Devauges, had been in charge at Clos de Tart before being released by François Pinault.
Tasting the mature Clos de Lambrays
The tasting at Annabel’s commenced with the recently released 169th edition of Krug’s Grande Cuvée. Still very youthful and fresh, it had power and density, suggesting that it will drink beautifully for several years to come.
This was followed by Domaine des Lambrays’ Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos du Cailleret. From the 2017 vintage, this was a revelation. With freshness and purity balancing spice and buttery notes on the nose, it unfurled with layers of flavour as the wine breathed in the glass.
The domaine’s Premier Cru Morey-Saint-Denis, Les Loups, was somewhat surprising. The wine, particularly in its colour, seemed to be more mature than one would have expected of a 2015 premier cru.
It was also served chilled and as the wine warmed up, more encouraging flavours developed, with gamey notes and an iron-driven finish.
Undoubtedly the main event was tasting the two vintages of the Clos de Lambrays Grand Cru: 2008 and 1990.
The latter had been shipped directly from the cellars of the domaine especially for this event.
The 2008 delivered what was expected of a 2008: very nice maturity from an under-stated, elegant vintage with plenty of sous-bois and redcurrant, raspberry leaf notes.
The 1990 was easily the star of the evening. Still youthful with a deep, almost impenetrable colour, it was hard to believe this was Pinot Noir moving into its fourth decade.
As Gearoid Devaney MS had pointed out in his introduction, Burgundy is one of those wines which can bring one to tears. This was getting fairly close to it.
The tasting concluded with a 2009 Chateau d’Yquem. Gloriously rich and honeyed, with abundant acidity keeping all the elements in balance. An Yquem that will deliver for a further two or three decades.
About The Birley Clubs & The Birley Wine Club
The Birley Clubs, known for their glamour and celebrity appeal, are a collection of five exclusive private member’s clubs in London’s Mayfair.
The portfolio of boutique and upmarket spaces include Annabel’s nightclub, the group’s first and most famous club founded in 1963 as well as Harry’s Bar, the old-world tradition of Mark’s Club, the sporting Bath & Raquets and the more contemporary George.
Annual membership costs, for those successful after a proposing/seconding process, amount to £3,250 in addition to a one-off joining fee of £1,250.
The Birley Wine Club, launched in June 2020 through virtual tours and tastings of renowned wine regions, now offers fine wine experiences including rare ‘en primeur’ tastings, which gives access to un-bottled, un-released wines and the ability to hire expert sommeliers for advice on wine, food and cigar pairings. Member’s will also be able to attend indulgent dinners throughout the year as well exclusive trips to vineyards and distilleries around the world.
Annabel’s provided a very fine setting for the Clos de Lambrays tasting (and accompanying dinner) with the beautifully dressed staff complimenting some excellent wines.
See the Clos de Lambrays tasting notes and scores
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