Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Burgundy > Côte de Nuits > Morey-Saint-Denis |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
The 2006 Clos des Lambrays is darkly-shaded in aromatics to match its darker color vis-a-vis its two littler siblings. Ripe plum and blackberry, burley tobacco, resin, and tar in the nose are transported to a palate that shares the sappy intensity, cling, and invigoration - via tart, spicy and tactile mineral impingement - that are common to this year's Domaine des Lambrays trio. Here, hints of violet perfume and a lurking sense of gaminess add mystery. Black pepper, cardamom, berry skins, chalk, salt, and resin are featured in a tenacious finish of vibratory energy. The longer this was open to the air, the more it fascinated. I see no reason to defer the pleasures of its company now, but would expect it to be well worth following for 10-12 years. In retrospect, this seems to me the unequivocal statement of grand cru depth and complexity that I have been seeking without complete satisfaction in so many previous vintages of Clos des Lambrays.
Not surprisingly, this is more elegant, more refined, more complex and more complete though perhaps less than one might have expected. A moderately ripe red berry fruit nose with earth, stone and spice undertones introduces sappy and mouth coating flavors that possess good if not special concentration and dry extract on the moderately long and slightly warm finish. In sum, 2006 is a perfectly good vintage for the Clos des Lambrays but not a truly distinguished one.
It has been two or three years since I last tasted the Clos des Lambrays 2006 from Domaine des Lambrays. It continues to exhibit a refined bouquet of light red cherries and strawberry, hints of undergrowth and dried autumn leaves. The palate is not as complex as either the 2009 or 2010 tasted alongside, but there is plenty of natural red, leafy fruit and a light, approachable finish that just glides across the mouth with little interest in leaving a long lasting impression. Perhaps a more ephemeral Clos des Lambrays, I would nonetheless take pleasure in opening bottles over the next ten years. Tasted March 2013.