Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2021

97 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2021 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru continues to impress. Lighter in hue than the 2019 served alongside, it has a lovely nose, the 80% whole-bunch imparting a patina of herbaceousness, damp forest floor, that marries beautifully with the dark berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresh, supremely poised entry. Notes of cedar and sage develop, the tannins more pliant than when I tasted this from barrel, with a piquant finish. Outstanding. Tasted at the Clos des Lambrays vertical in Morey-Saint-Denis. Drink: 2027-2052. (Mar 2024)"

97 points Charles Curtis, MW (Decanter): "The product of a difficult vintage, the 2021 Clos des Lambrays is almost the antithesis of either the 2020 or the 2022, yet this wine has a charm and elegance all its own, and I count it among the great successes of this trying year. The colour is lighter, and the fruit is more perfumed and less powerful than its siblings, but there is a charm to the spicy pomegranate and lilac-scented fruit aromas and the elegant, silky finesse on the palate. The yield was half of an average year. The grapes were picked at 13.1 and chaptalised to 13.6, yet the overall impression is decidedly ahead of the pack. Drinking Window: 2024-2050. (Nov 2023)"

97 points/'Le Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France: "Made entirely from whole clusters and aged in 60% new barrels, this grand cru delivers an expressive, engaging nose of blueberry, fresh fruit pulp and sandalwood, developing superbly with air. With its sharp flavors, the attack is taut, underpinned by a magnificent, full-bodied, dynamic flesh where refined flavors and noble earthiness make up a tasty, distinctive whole, without the slightest hint of harshness. (2024)"

97 points Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2024).

95-97 points Jasper Morris, MW (Inside Burgundy): "I tasted four different cuvées, all of which had been vinified with 100% whole bunches, and then the final blend. La Plante Dessous seemed useful as a blending component but not quite Grand cru on its own. The other three were in a different league: Cerisier is not extra concentrated in colour but a fine red purple. The nose has much more elegance and nobility and shows the whole bunch more. There is unquestionably a cherry taste to the fruit, fresh white pepper, good acidity and fine length. Much more noble. Les 50 Ouvrées (Milieu) offers a little more depth to the vivid purple colour The nose shows more weight too with the fruit slight taking the lead over the vinification. A vast sweet red fruit mouthful here, cherries again but now with a denser raspberry note behind. Complex long aftertaste. Les 50 Ouvrées (Dessus) is bright crimson purple in colour. A vigorous solid nose, less evidence of the whole bunches (100%). Less flamboyant yet with great density. This could make the heart of the cuvée with the cherries from the others to add a top note. Very sensual, undoubtedly grand cru with a long rich red fruit finish elongated by the whole bunch vinification. Limestone tension, slower ripening here. And now for the blend. A lovely even ruby colour across the glass. The bouquet just starts to peep out slowly, 80% whole bunch as Plante Dessus and Milieu were destemmed in 2021. Just a little light pepper seasoning the deep red berry fruit which has a multiplicity of nuances. Overall, the wine has a magical sense of harmony but is the opposite of monolithic, showing waves of flavour and exquisite detail. If this continues to grow in the barrel, as Jacques suspects it will, it could well be a five star wine. Drink from 2028-2038. (Nov 2022)"

96 points Christy Canterbury, MW (TimAtkin.com): "I tasted each of the parcels here before Jacques made a cuvée of this Grand Cru originally delimited in 1365. There are a good four to five days of difference in ripeness depending on where the vines sit and their ages, and they are picked accordingly. The oldest vines date back to 1865. It is exciting to see Jacques' finessed touch on this historic clos. The results are seductive with sweet bramble, blueberry and spice meshing with woodsy freshness. The palate is broad in feel yet focused by pure fruit, minerally undertones and sheer energy. The elegance is truly alluring, almost Chambolle-like in its aromatic gentleness and filigree complexity, yet resolutely Morey in its structure and power. (2023)"

92-95 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "An intensely floral also freely reveals aromas of rose petal, violet, lavender, spiced plum and a whiff of newly turned earth. The sleek and precise middleweight flavors also possess a caressing yet quite punchy palate feel while displaying outstanding length on the focused, moderately austere and built-to-age finale. This is also really very good and a wine that should easily repay 12 to 15 years of keeping. Drink: 2033+. (1/10/23)"

94 points Bruce Sanderson (Wine Spectator): "Rich yet vibrant and lacy, this red evokes cherry, rose, sandalwood and oak spice aromas and flavors. An elegant wine, on a broad skeleton, with finely meshed tannins and a long, spice-tinged finish. Best from 2027 through 2045. 150 cases imported. (5/31/24)"