Clos des Lambrays Domaine des Lambrays 2017 (750ML)

92-95 Points, William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2017 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru unfurls in the glass with complex aromas of plums, cassis, dark chocolate, warm spices, licorice and rich soil tones, delicately framed by new oak. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and satiny, with a fleshy core of fruit, succulent acids and powdery tannins. My intuition is that this will turn out to be both a little more concentrated and a little more structurally giving than the 2016 rendition." 01/19

92-94 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2017 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru was picked September 3-11 and includes 90% whole bunches in this vintage, matured in 50% new oak. Two tanks were chaptalized and the alcohol is around 13.5°. This has a classic Clos des Lambrays bouquet, quite understated at first, precise but tightly coiled. There is fine purity here. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy black fruit laced with tobacco and graphite and a fine line of acidity. Not the most persistent Clos des Lambrays that has ever been made, but perhaps one of the most elegant and poised." 01/19

95 Points, John Gilman, View from the Cellar: "The 2017 Clos des Lambrays was still quite youthful, but was showing truly stunning potential on both the nose and palate. The bouquet is still fairly primary, but sports outstanding depth and nascent complexity in its constellation of cassis, black cherries, sweet dark berries, exotic touches of both eucalyptus and lavender, a superb base of soil, heather and a sound foundation of cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and suave on the attack, with sappy core, excellent soil signature, fine-grained tannins and a long, closed and classy finish. The oak component here is beautifully done and there are absolutely no issues with the wine's ultimate balance, but I had the sensation that it was clamping down on the wine a bit more than was customary for Clos des Lambrays as this point in its evolution. Perhaps it was just my imagination, as the wine will no doubt be absolutely superb in the fullness of time." 11/18

95 Points, Tim Atkin, Decanter: "Produced from what is nearly a monopole grand cru - Domaine Taupenot-Merme owns 0.004ha - Clos des Lambrays is always marked by its 90% whole bunches, but the style is very well done in 2017 under new cellarmaster, Boris Champy. With 50% new wood framing the palate, this is subtle, nuanced and focussed, with polished tannins and bright acidity." 10/18

93 Points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy: "Vinified by Thierry Brouin, raised by Boris Champy, and bottled by Jacques Devauges. The 2017 vintage has been playing musical chairs! Lighter colour, pretty raspberry and alpine strawberry notes of moderate depth. This is very much Thierry's style, lovely flavours, easy to digest, but perhaps lacks a little bit of heart." 11/19