2021 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru

It is an extended visit to Domaine des Lambrays with Jacques Devauges. Following its acquisition by LVMH, they embarked upon expanding what was always a very limited portfolio by negotiating some contracts that were coming up for expiry with Frédéric Esmonin and Christophe Perrot-Minot (though before you ask, Perrot-Minot still has a parcel in Le Richemone, so it is not about to disappear from his portfolio.) For all the handwringing about luxury brands taking over Domaine, what cannot be denied is that they have done a brilliant job in rebuilding the winery so that it achieves an almost cathedral-like aura, one end of the vat-room with an enormous arched paned window showcasing the magnificent outside, as if keeping constant watch from outside. Devauges demonstrates the innovative wooden vats that eschew the idea of troconic vats that slant inwards. These bespoke vessels are perfectly straight. Each vat contains metal plates that can be manually inserted and moved, like miniature radiators, designed to control the temperature. Devauges tells me how he wished to use wooden vats rather than stainless steel as the latter tend to be too reactive to temperatures. He also shows how the wine is transferred from the ground-level cuverie to the expanded barrel cellar below using large vats that ostensibly act like elevators, going up and down mechanically using pullies, thereby obviating the complete use of pumps, something that I first witnessed at Cos d’Estournel a few years ago.

“It was a vintage of contrast. February and March were warm, 20° Celsius on 20 February and then warm at the end of March, so bud burst was the first days of April. Then 6-8 April saw frost with snow on 7 April. We lost 75% of grapes in Puligny-Montrachet and 50% in Morey-Saint-Denis. After this, the vines were stuck – they were shocked. It took three weeks for them to recover, and the growing season recommenced in May. Flowering was on 15 June. July and August were not exceptional; they were overcast, with more rain than we would wish. Consequently, there was high mildew and oïdium pressure. So I am happy about the small tractors, and in our second year of biodynamic, using artisan teas, we did a good job. But it was some challenge.”

“Finally, we had a miracle. The north wind came back, and September was sunny and dry. In 2021, thanks to the small crop, 50% of usual, those conditions could reach a good level of maturity. We harvested the surviving grapes from 22 September to 27 September, and these were very healthy – six days of picking, as we didn’t pick too fast. It’s normally around eight days. For the vinification, from a small crop, I wanted to vinify my 11 different cuvées as usual, the smallest being two barrels, whilst maintaining my principle of whole bunches. In the end, the Clos des Lambrays is 80% whole bunches, with only [the lieu-dit] La Plante used partial whole bunches. The wines were a bit closed at first, but they opened and remind me of 2010 in terms of their evolution in barrel…not to imply they are the same quality. Therefore, I am not going to hurry in bottle. I am convinced the 2021 Clos des Lambrays will age for a long time.”

There is no question that this is a fired-up Domaine. It has a spring in its step. Gazing upon the new winery and refurbished maison, nobody can deny that money’s no object, yet the underlying motives for the changes are functionality in the winery and tasteful aesthetic improvements. All that was missing were a few additional parcels, which has been addressed with an expanded number of crus in 2021, with 2022 offering more. The 2021s are exquisitely crafted with an exceptional Domaine des Lambrays, tasted both as a final blend and from five individual lieux-dits, though there are more than that number. I am also impressed by their maiden Vosne-Romanée Les Beaux Monts, although volume is excruciatingly small at around 450 bottles. Whereas their wines were rather rustic, occasionally green, intermittently sublime, these are more concentrated and sensual despite the growing season. We just await to see what happens with prices.