Clos des Lambrays, Domaine des Lambrays 2019

The 2019 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru is very promising indeed, mingling scents of blood orange, wild berries and plums with notions of exotic spices, wilted rose petals, row cocoa and loamy soil. Full-bodied, velvety and layered, it's deep and multidimensional, with a concentrated, elegantly fleshy core, lively acids, largely concealed tannins and a precise, perfumed finish.

Jacques Desvauges's first vintage at the Domaine des Lambrays was marked by a number of new initiatives. Organic farming required custom-made tractors capable of traversing the clos's steep upper slopes, and mechanical cultivation was necessarily complemented by plenty of manual work with the "pioche" (a task that I can personally attest is arduous). Yields were low, at some 15 hectoliters per hectare in the clos itself, and Desvauges vinified parcel by parcel, getting to know his charge. The results are very fine indeed, and I'm sure they auger well for the future of this important estate. I'll be reporting in more detail on the domaine's evolution in the near future.

An extremely subtle application of wood sets off the intensely floral-scented nose of herbal tea, poached plum, spice elements and a hint of newly turned earth. There is excellent volume to the caressing yet punchy medium weight plus flavors that exude both a lovely minerality and focused power on the delineated and beautifully persistent finish where the only reproach is a hint of wood. 2019 is a fine vintage for Clos des Lambrays and one that should repay extended keeping.