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95 points Wine Spectator
A red of purity and suppleness. Reveals a dense core of cherry, spice and mineral aromas and flavors allied to a firm structure, while great energy propels this to a long, lingering aftertaste. A combination of power and finesse. *Collectibles. Ranked #26 of Top 100 Wines of 2008*
94 points Allen Meadows - Burghound
A much more deeply pitched nose of dark berry fruit, spice, earth, a hint of animale and an overlay of obvious minerality complements perfectly the rich, full and sweet broad-scaled yet elegant flavors that are solidly structured and firm on the detailed and wonderfully intense finish. This powerful, long and serious vintage of Clos des Lambrays is built for the medium plus term, which is to say out to 20 years of improvement followed by another 20 of plateau.
93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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.
93 points Vinous
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.
Wine Description
The Story
This Grand Cru ranks among the 100 best red wines of the world. / The vineyard Clos des Lambrays is one of the greatest surface area in Grand Cru from all the Côte de Nuits.. The Clos des Lambrays is full-bodied, rough and supple, "a hand of iron in a glove of velvet". With flavors of black fruits (blackberries and blueberries), powerful, elegant with round and noble tannins.
Clos des Lambrays is made with Burgundy’s great black variety Pinot Noir. The average age of the vines is an impressive 40 years, and the vines are planted at the optimum density of 10,000-12,000 plants per hectare.
Tracing their history back to 1365, Domaine des Lambrays holds nearly all of the famous Clos des Lambrays vineyard. Ownership of the domaine has changed hands many times since the French Revolution. Although the vineyard was given Premier Cru classification in 1936, the wines have long been hailed as legendary by critics, and the vineyard was promoted to Grand Cru in 1981. Winery notes: "The Clos des Lambrays is full-bodied, rough and supple, 'a hand of iron in a glove of velvet.' With flavors of black fruits (blackberries and blueberries), it is powerful and elegant with round and noble tannins."
Vintage 2005
2005 VINTAGE in Burgundy / Hopes made way for certainty.
2005 promises to produce outstanding whites, with elegance and opulence beyond the norm, and superb, seductive and well-structured red wines.
The richness of these wines perfectly expresses the diversity of the region. A wine of excellent quality is achieved above all through the ripeness and healthiness of the grapes. For this reason, thanks to the almost ideal climatic conditions, 2005 will an exceptional year. At the point of harvest, the chardonnay and pinot noir grapes (the two principal grape varieties in Burgundy) were magnificent and luscious. The chardonnay produced resplendent golden grapes, bursting with sugar and the pinot noir produced densely packed grapes of an intense colour, characteristic of all great vintages. Due to low rainfall and weak northerly winds, the grapes remained in a remarkable state and did not require any sorting.
Under a radiant sun, the harvest passed by peacefully, giving the wine-growers the opportunity to assess the optimal maturity in relation to the grape varieties and parcels. The sugar content in the grapes reached above satisfactory levels, in some cases close to outstanding, which is a good indication of maturity, and promises a good balance between the acidity and sugar levels found in the wines
The red grapes' thick skin stored up large quantities of polyphenol (colour and tannin), a demonstration of their healthiness. Vinification took place in ideal circumstances.
Mid-november
The white wines, although still fermenting, already reveal an extraordinary richness and aromatic complexity with great finesse (notes of pear and peach with a hint of ripe grapefruits). On the palate, the wines are incredibly ample. The chewiness and acidity are in perfect harmony and enhance the elegance and freshness of the chardonnay.
The red wines possess deep and intense garnet-coloured robes. They exude intense aromas of fruit (blueberry, blackcurrants, cherries, wild strawberries) and variety of spices (pepper). On the palate, the fruit blends with the rounded elegance of the tannins and the light acidity, which all come together to ensure the length of the wine. The powerful and elegant structure of these wines is a sign of their good ageing potential. For the domaines, cooperatives and maisons of Burgundy, 2005 is without a doubt a vintage of exceptional quality which promises wonderful surprises for the consumer.