2014 Clos des Lambrays
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Tasting notes
I had tasted many vintages from barrel but never the finished article until a friend from the Far East invited me to choose any bottle from the enormous wine list at Maison de Colombier in Beaune. I knew instantly which one I wanted: the 2014 Clos des Lambrays from Taupenot-Merme. And it had only taken me 20 years! The bottled wine actually mirrors my recollections from barrel, presenting an open-knit, tertiary, cranberry- and raspberry-scented bouquet with plenty of damp undergrowth and autumn leaves. The palate feels slightly raw on the entry; in keeping with many 2014 reds, it is a little lean in style, built around a taut thread of acidity and sporting plenty of sour cherry and bell pepper notes toward the crunchy finish. This is not a cerebral wine, and I suspect the Taupenots have made superior Clos des Lambrays. But it constitutes an enjoyable Grand Cru destined to remain perpetually elusive...unless you happen to be dining at Maison de Colombier.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
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(Taupenot makes less than a barrel of wine annually from a tiny parcel planted in 1975 at the bottom of the Clos des Lambrays): Slightly hazy medium red. A deep earthy perfume complements aromas of raspberry, spices and dried flowers. A bit imploded but surprisingly fresh and vibrant on the palate, with flavors of raspberry and flowers tweaked by a pungent blood orange note. The very long, slowly mounting finish features slightly tight tannins, a subtle saline quality and considerable finesse."This is never a powerful style, but more about length and charm," noted Taupenot. Still, this beauty will need at least seven or eight years of bottle aging.
The 2014 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru remains one of the Cote de Nuits' most elusive wines. I've never actually tasted the finished wine that comes from the 420-meter square of vine that I am sure LVMH are gnashing their teeth for. This year it amounts to 180-liters. It has a lovely cranberry and fresh strawberry-scented bouquet struck through with fine mineralité and tension. The palate is tensile on the entry, a precise line of acidity, quite linear and correct, but perhaps without the persistence of the Mazoyères or the Charmes-Chambertin on the finish. If you can find a bottle, this will deserve a couple of years to settle down.
There are two other parcels (one not planted and another making very little wine). Less than a barrel (200 bottles) produced each year. Heady and dense. Finishes with excellent acidity. Fresh and floral. (JR)