Domaine des Lambrays - Morey-Saint-Denis red 2020

Wine Region: Burgundy - France

Grape: Pinot Noir (100%)

Tasting notes: This is a definitive Morey, bursting with spice, fragrance and seduction. It is a blend of the 1ers Crus of La Riotte and the confusingly-named Le Village with the addition of the young vines (around 20 years old) of Le Clos. It’s impossible not to be taken in by its flirtatious character, enhanced by the use of 50% of the whole bunch. The fruits are quite dark, yet the flavors are lovely with hints of lifted blueberries ripened to perfection. The whole bunch adds a crack of peppery freshness that allows the perfumed florality to stretch its legs. Much to enjoy here. Drink from 2026.

Expert Ratings:

93 points Decanter

'A youthful, energetic wine with notes of ripe black plums and a bit of liquorice and spice. The texture is silky and soft, lacking the density of the other wines in the cellar, yet there is finesse to spare. 2020 was the first year with a second 'declassification' for the Clos des Lambrays: in addition to the premier cru Les Loups there is also a village Morey. Yields in these young vines at the top of the slope were particularly small this year - in the area of 15 hl/ha. The fruit was completely destemmed to produce this. (CC) '

88-91 points Burghound

'A fresh, ripe and cool nose reflects aromas of pretty red berries, violets and earth. There is good richness and volume to the middle weight flavors, and particularly so given where the contributing vineyards are located, all wrapped in a stony, precise and lingering finale. '

88-90 points Wine Advocate

'The 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis Village unfurls in the glass with notions of dark, briary berry fruit, rich spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a ripe, sun-kissed core of fruit and firm structuring tannins, it's derived from vines just above the Clos des Lambrays, where there is very little soil. Jacques Devauges told me that he picked between August 20 and August 26, reporting tiny yields of only 15 hectoliters per hectare and a finished alcohol for Clos des Lambrays itself of around 13.8%. This is the domaine's second year in organic certification and its first in biodynamic farming. The Clos was vinified without any destemming and no punch-downs whatsoever, in specially designed vats (whose technical details Devauges refused to divulge, telling me that he intends to share the secrets with the world some time this year) that permit him to separate the vineyard's various parcels. We tasted multiple components—which do display notable differences in function of location, vine age and vine material—and then the very impressive final blend. (WK)'

88-90 points Vinous

'The 2020 Morey-Saint-Denis Village, which is completely de-stemmed, has light blackberry and wild hedgerow scents on the nose, slightly tertiary in style. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit on the entry. Not a complex Morey-Saint-Denis, but there is decent structure and grip. Give this two or three years in bottle. '(NM)

About the Winery:

Domaine des Lambrays was established in 1363 yet it was only in 1981 that this climat was finally promoted to Grand Cru. The estate was purchased in 1996 by the Freune family and since then dramatic changes have taken place, leading to an upsurge in quality. At 8.8 hectares, this is the largest Grand Cru parcel in Burgundy under one proprietor.

As well as the grand cru itself, the Domaine also owns vines in premier cru and village vineyards in Morey, and since 1993, two premier cru vineyards in Puligny Montrachet, les Folatières and Clos du Cailleret, purchased from Domaine Chartron.

Winemaker Thierry Brouin has been in charge since 1979. The vineyards are run on more or less organic lines, with no chemical anti-rot sprays, and ploughing of the soil by horse. In the cellar, he likes to use the majority of the stems, favours punching down over pumping over, and prefers to restrain the amount of new oak – around 50% for the grand cru. The produce of young vines is downgraded to Morey St Denis 1er cru where it joins the fruit of tiny holdings of La Riotte and Le Village. The village Morey comes from La Riotte, Clos Solon, Les Larreys and especially La Bidaude which lies just above the Clos des Lambrays.

Domaine des Lambrays produces wines which possess balance, power and finesse and which fully live up to their Grand Cru status.