Domaine des Lambrays

History of Domaine des Lambrays

The first mention of the site dates to 1365, when the name Cloux des Lambrey appeared in the records of the Abbey of Cîteaux. Divided among 74 owners during the French Revolution, the clos was patiently reassembled in the late 19th century, then stewarded by the Joly and Rodier families. In 1938, the property passed to Renée Cosson, who kept it closed off for four decades. During that time, the vineyard aged and became depleted, despite producing bottles that remain legendary.

In 1979, Roland Pelletier de Chambure and brothers Louis and Fabien Saier bought the estate and began an extensive restoration, joined by winemaker Thierry Brouin, who would oversee the wines for nearly forty years. On April 27, 1981, the INAO recognized Clos des Lambrays as Burgundy’s 33rd Grand Cru. The Freund family of Koblenz took over the property in 1996 before selling it to the LVMH group in spring 2014. Arriving in 2019 after running the neighboring Clos de Tart, Jacques Devauges immediately began conversion to organic farming, followed by biodynamics, and introduced an unprecedented level of precision in working plot by plot. Several acquisitions in 2021 and 2022 expanded the range from five to nine cuvées.

Terroirs and Vines of Domaine des Lambrays

The vineyard extends over some 12 hectares, about 85 percent of them in the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis alone. Clos des Lambrays forms its heart: a triangular plot of 202 ouvrées facing east, with a 60-meter elevation difference from the top to the bottom of the slope. The upper section, with more marl and cooler conditions, brings tension and finesse, while the lower slopes, where clay and limestone mingle, lend body, spice, and structure. Unusually for Burgundy, the rows are planted perpendicular to the slope to combat erosion and protect the grape clusters from direct sunlight.

Around 70 percent of the Clos was planted between 1898 and 1935, giving the estate a remarkable genetic heritage of pinot fin propagated through massal selection. Heavy machinery has never been used on the soils, and much of the work is done with horses. Alongside this historic core are four Morey-Saint-Denis village-level plots high on the slope, on thin limestone soils; two Morey Premier Crus acquired in 2022 (Clos Baulet and Clos Sorbè); a plot in Vosne-Romanée Premier Cru Les Beaux Monts; and another in Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru La Richemone. In the Côte de Beaune, two Chardonnay climats classified as Premier Cru in Puligny-Montrachet, acquired in 1993, complete the vineyard.

Winemaking at Domaine des Lambrays

The grapes are harvested early by hand, then rigorously sorted both in the vineyard and at the winery. Since 2022, a new winery operating entirely by gravity has made it possible to vinify around ten plots from Clos des Lambrays separately. From grape to bottle, the wine is moved without pumps, using mobile tanks to preserve its texture and avoid rough handling of the juice. The proportion of whole clusters varies by climat and vintage, bringing freshness, floral notes, and length.

Fermentation and maceration last an average of fifteen to eighteen days, with gentle extraction and measured punch-downs. The reds then age for around eighteen months in the château’s historic cellars, built beginning in the 17th century. For the Grand Cru, half the oak barrels are renewed each vintage. The Puligny-Montrachet whites age for nine to ten months, with the same proportion of new oak. The final Clos des Lambrays blend brings together the wines from the different plots, each contributing its own nuance of complexity.

The Cuvées of Domaine des Lambrays

Morey-Saint-Denis Village: sourced primarily from four plots a few meters above Clos des Lambrays, on very thin limestone soils that naturally limit yields. Supple, fresh, and pure, the wine shows red cherry and raspberry notes and a finely drawn character that makes it a heartfelt tribute to the village. An excellent introduction to the estate’s style.

Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Les Loups: a blend of three co-fermented lieux-dits, supplemented in some vintages by young vines from the Clos. Its name evokes the two wolves depicted on the coats of arms of Morey-Saint-Denis and the estate. Rich and fragrant, it offers ripe red and dark fruit, sweet spices, and velvety tannins supported by clay on the lower slopes. In vintages deemed insufficient for the Grand Cru, the Clos harvest goes into this wine instead.

Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos Baulet: the commune’s smallest Premier Cru at 0.87 hectares, of which the estate owns approximately 30 ares acquired in 2022. A subsoil of brown conglomerates deposited during the Ice Age produces a wine of great aromatic delicacy, floral and subtly spiced, with cherry and raspberry notes. Density meets remarkable precision, with fine tannins promising excellent aging potential.

Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Clos Sorbè: a 1.15-hectare plot within a 3.3-hectare climat, which also returned to the estate in 2022. Red clays and bioclastic limestone lying just 50 centimeters below the surface give the wine its vibrant, juicy texture and notes of cherry, red currant, and licorice. Generous and enveloping, it is often approachable in its youth without sacrificing aging potential.

Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru: the flagship cuvée, sourced from the 8.66-hectare near-monopole of which the estate owns 99.6 percent. Vinified plot by plot before blending, it combines the power of the clay-rich lower slopes with the elegance of the marly upper slopes. The nose brings together dark fruit, undergrowth, spice, and floral notes; the palate is dense, structured, and saline, with oak that is perfectly integrated. This is a wine built for very long aging, capable of lasting several decades.

Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts: a 45-are plot acquired in 2021, located in the northern part of the appellation overlooking the village. Its warm microclimate is tempered by altitude, producing a concentrated, sun-kissed wine with notes of black cherry and blackberry, floral accents, and fleshy elegance. Made in tiny quantities, it offers immediate pleasure and rare expressiveness.

Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru La Richemone: the estate owns 0.9 hectares within this 1.92-hectare climat, including the plot’s oldest vines, planted to pinot fin in 1924 midway up the slope. The nose is lively and expressive, with red cherry and delicate spice; the concentrated, textured palate reveals iodine, minerality, and a gripping finish. A cuvée of remarkable intensity within the range.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos du Cailleret: 37 ares of Chardonnay owned since 1993, between Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet and Clavoillon, on soil strewn with small limestone pebbles that gave the climat its name. Crystalline and mineral, it combines citrus, orange zest, and white peach with impressive tension and density. Some vintages yield just 1,500 bottles.

Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières: 29 ares planted in fourteen rows running across the climat from bottom to top, from brown soils to pale marl, bringing a range of terroirs to the blend. The wine is taut and subtly spiced, with notes of linden blossom, lime, pear, and peach, a silky texture, and lingering salinity. A fine showing for a white wine from an estate devoted primarily to Pinot Noir.