Domaine des Lambrays, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2011

robert_parker90

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2011 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru has a light, brambly, red-berry nose intermingling with freshly tilled soil and subtle gravel scents that become more accentuated with aeration. The palate is nicely balanced with crisp tannins, plenty of tart-cherry fruit and concludes with a linear mineral-driven finish that feels uncompromising and just a little mean at the moment, though I suspect it will gain more weight as it this grand cru often does. Drink 2016-2028. Importer: Peter Weygandt, Unionville, PA; tel. (610) 486-0800

robert_parker89

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Quite pale in color for a grand cru, the Clos des Lambrays 2011 has a very spicy bouquet with touches of wild mint and damp woodland scents coming through with aeration. The palate is light and slightly fleshy: fresh strawberry and red cherry leading to a light, peppery finish. It does lacks some substance at the beginning, although aeration sees it gaining more intensity while retaining its delineation and focus.

vinous89

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

The 2011 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru just feels a little flat-footed. It has a typical leafy bouquet, nicely defined but bereft of some horsepower, damp moss/undergrowth scents becoming more conspicuous with aeration. The palate is quite sharp and tart on the entry. This is certainly fresh but I wish there was more substance towards the finish. It is a Grand Cru after all. Tasted at 1243 Club in Beaune.

vinous92

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

(100% vendange entier; 13.2% with a bit of chaptalization): Medium red. Highly complex nose combines wild dark berries, smoky herbs, brown spices, leather, rust and pepper. Suave, elegant and fine-grained; a lovely silky midweight with perfumed notes of iron, rust, olive, wild herbs, spices and pepper. Finishes with very good spicy length. This can be enjoyed now or cellared. Offers a Lambrays-typical blend of structure and finesse, not to mention terrific aromatic complexity. Incidentally, although Brouin described 2012 as one of his best vintages of the last 20 years, he maintained that the 2011 is more transparent to its site.

vinous94

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

(50% new oak): Bright, deep red. Showy nose melds cherry, raspberry, white pepper, coffee, spices and smoky underbrush. Utterly suave, silky and fine-grained, but with firm tannins giving the fairly full mid-palate plenty of support for two decades or more of positive development in bottle. Most impressive today on the very long, subtle, rising finish, which leaves the mouth feeling refreshed.