Domaine des Lambrays, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2005

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: William Kelley

Served from magnum, the 2005 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru offers up a youthfully reserved bouquet of raspberries, cassis, creamy new oak and espresso roast. On the palate, the wine is beginning to unwind, as it's much less closed than it was when I last tasted it three years ago, displaying good concentration and depth at the core, a fine-grained tannic chassis and a long, generous finish. This ranks as the finest Clos des Lambrays between the 1970s and the 2010, and in a couple more years it will begin to drink in style.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: David Schildknecht

The 2005 Clos de Lambrays leads with hints of cedar and spruce resin (or is that actually ripe Pinot stems?), bitter-sweet florality, pungent spices, black tea, salt spray, iodine and Cote-Rotie-like smoked meats. Plum and cherry – with a strong dose of skins and pits -- almost come as an aromatic afterthought. A subtly bitter, tart edge follows the flowers, meat and minerals onto the palate and helps lend profile and pungent energy to the wine, which sticks tenaciously to the palate as if it were exactly the sort of resin suggested in its aroma. This is serious in a rather somber way, and the abundance of tannin and sheer density of this wine suggest one wait 6-8 years before peeking beneath another cork. But I strongly suggest it will make excellent old bones, so my score could easily mislead. (I find the peppery, spicy, highly satisfying 2004 very nearly as good today, not to mention more charming and a better bet for the short run.) The average age of vines is quite old, incidentally, but Brouin refuses to print “vieilles vignes” on the label because he insists (rightly) that these two unregulated words are grossly abused. Thierry Brouin fermented largely whole clusters (“I’m a partisan of vendange entier,” he says, “provided the stems are ripe”) and engaged in a more active regimen of punch downs than was typical this year. The result is structure to spare, and wines that make no concessions to early flattery. Unlike the wines of most vintners, Brouin’s 2005s underwent malo-lactic fermentation on a “normal” schedule, i.e. Spring, 2006. Also recommended: 2005 Morey-St. Denis ($60.00-65.00; 86+?). Importer: Weygandt-Metzler, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800.

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Medium+ ruby-garnet. Very pretty floral and pure red berry aromas with notes of pomegranate, violets, milk chocolate truffles and a touch of sage. The elegantly fruited palate is still a little tight yet already gives a peek at future pleasures with just the right concentration of berry flavours balanced by crisp acidity and a medium level of finely grained tannins. Long finish. Drink 2010 – 2019. Tasted February 2009.

robert_parker96

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

A lighter nose compared to the London sample of Clos des Tarts which I always enjoy comparing it with. Blackberry, earthy, a touch of cigar box and cherry. The palate is beautifully balanced, quite understated and feminine with redcurrants and wild strawberry on the finish. Sublime. Tasted January 2007. Drink 2008-2020

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Medium red; the fullest color to this point. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, blueberry, licorice, espresso, wild herbs and underbrush complemented by mocha and meat nuances. Wonderfully broad and rich on entry, then powerful and penetrating in the mid-palate, with its very ripe dark fruit, mocha and espresso flavors accented and enlivened by black pepper, crushed rock and dusty herbs. Not quite opulent or thick but densely packed. Finishes classically dry and youthfully backward, spreading out to saturate the palate with a serious dusting of tannins. This wine's fruit is developing nicely but it would appear to have the backbone for a graceful evolution in bottle. In fact, the wine's tannic structure reminded me a bit of Cabernet. (13.5% alcohol; 3.45 pH; 3.5 g/l acidity)

vinous93

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Medium red. Riper, darker nose features blueberry, spices and a sexy earthy perfume. Supple and juicy, with excellent spicy lift to the blackberry, blueberry, game and mineral flavors. Sweeter and denser than the village example but more noteworthy for its insinuating soil tones than for sheer size-or is this simply in a shell today? The long, resounding, dry finish features very fine-grained tannins and lovely lift. This, too, seems to be shutting down in the bottle. But it should be long-lived.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

(only the old vines were used for this wine) Deep, bright red-ruby. Aromas of blueberry, flowers, minerals and spices. Sweet, dense and subtle but youthfully imploded and in need of a racking. Tightly wound but suave and fine-grained, with energetic spice character and an insidious, horizontal finish lifted by complex medicinal herbs. Finishes with noteworthy energy. Brouin describes this as an early-drinking vintage for Clos des Lambrays but I'd certainly hold it for five or six years before pulling the cork.