Burgundian estate Domaine des Lambrays has released its 2019 wines, with a substantial increase in the price of its flagship grand cru label, Clos des Lambrays.
The wine has been released at £4,320 per 12×75 SIB (£1,080 per 3×75). This represents an increase of 84% on the current market price of the 2018.
It is the first vintage at the estate overseen by new manager and winemaker Jacques Devauges. Devauges was hired by LVMH after he left neighbouring property Clos de Tart in early 2019, bringing him on to replace Thierry Brouin who had retired.
The wine has received positive scores from leading critics. Neal Martin at Vinous scored it 95-97, remarking on its “balletic” qualities with “very fine delineation”, while William Kelley at the Wine Advocate marked it 94-96 saying it was, “very promising indeed”, “deep and multi-dimensional”.
Jasper Morris MW said: “I am not going to say that Jacques has gone straightaway back to the great vintages of the 20s and 30s, but there is considerable promise here.”
Since the estate’s acquisition by the French luxury group in 2014 the wines have coasted along somewhat under the radar.
As recently examined by Liv-ex, the estate slipped out of the Power 100 in 2018 and while its trade has remained quite robust due to the relative value it offers among its peers, its secondary market prices have not been standout, declining 1.3% on average last year.
Numerous changes at the estate, including conversion to organics and then biodynamics (from the 2020 vintage), breaking the Clos down into 12 plots to do parcel selection and blending, the recent appointment of some ‘key partners’ in the UK and the new price all suggest a radical change in strategy at the property.
Alongside the Clos des Lambrays, the estate has also released the four other wines in its stable, two Puligny-Montrachets and two Morey St-Denis.
Puligny Montrachet Premier Cru ‘Les Folatieres’ (£1,060 12×75), Puligny Montrachet, Premier Cru ‘Clos des Caillerets’ (£1,596 12×75), Morey St-Denis (£720 12×75) and Morey St-Denis, Premier Cru ‘Les Loups’ (£1,080 12×75).
