Clos des Lambrays AOC

Grand Cru vineyard or appellation in the municipality of Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte d'Or region of Burgundy. It was first mentioned in the middle of the 14th century as "Clos de Lambrey" after a noble family. After the French Revolution (1789), the property was auctioned off and completely dismembered. In 1981, the site was classified as a Grand Cru. After a chequered history with many owners, the Domaine des Lambrays was taken over almost in its entirety by the German industrialist Günter Freund in 1996. Only a tiny plot of 4.2 ares belongs to Domaine Taupenot.

The east-facing vineyard at 280 to 320 metres above sea level covers 8.7 hectares of vines on marl soil at the top and clay-limestone soil at the bottom. These yield powerful and full-bodied wines. The planting density is between 9,000 and 13,000 vines/hectare. The vineyard is actually enclosed by a wall and thus rightly bears the name Clos. The Grand Cru site Clos Saint-Denis lies to the north and the Grand Cru site Clos de Tart to the south. The site is divided into the four Climats(parcels) Les Bouchots, Lambray, Les Larrets and Meix-Rentier.

The extremely long-lasting red wine is made almost exclusively from Pinot Noir. However, the varieties Pinot Beurot(a mutation of Pinot Gris) and Pinot Liébault are also authorised, and up to 15% Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc can also be used. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The wine is vinified separately by parcel, usually up to 50% of the harvest is declassified and marketed as Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru. The wine is matured in up to 75% new barriques. The wine is fined with egg white, but not filtered. Around 35,000 bottles are produced each year.

Image: by presumably Arnaud 25 - own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link