Clos des Lambrays Domaine des Lambrays 2020 (750ML)

94-96+ Points, William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2020 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru is promising, unwinding in the glass with a dark and brooding bouquet of cassis, elderberries and plums mingled with notions of smoked duck, spices, bitter orange and rose petals. Full-bodied, deep and layered, it's rich and concentrated (reflecting derisory yields of only 15 hectoliters per hectare), with powdery tannins, lively acids and a long, resonant finish. With the 2020, we begin to approach the levels of intensity and texture found in the domaine's wines of yesteryear, and if this wine realizes all its promise, my score will look conservative." 01/22

95-97 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2020 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru comprises of 80% to 85% whole bunch this year. Since 2019, Jacques Devauges has utilised smaller tanks to vinify subplots separately and raised in several cooperages rather than just François Frères (60% new oak). It has a classically-styled bouquet, very well defined, very fresh, red berry fruit with touches of shucked oyster shell, light loamy aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannins, very fresh and full of tension. The mineralité clearly comes through on the finish that is far more precise than previous vintages, long and tender on the aftertaste. Cool, calm and collected, this is a riveting Clos des Lambrays." 11/21

93-95 Points, Allen Meadows, Burghound: "Restrained, cool and elegant aromas are comprised of ripe poached plum, dark currant, anise, rose petal and a hint of earth. The succulent, concentrated and relatively powerful larger-scaled flavors exude evident salinity on the firm, serious, complex and beautifully persistent finale. Patience strongly suggested." 01/22

97 Points, Charles Curtis MW, Decanter: "Jacques Devauges keeps each portion of the Clos des Lambrays separate throughout the growing season, winemaking and maturation. The final assemblage of each part, however, is synergistically better than any of the separate sections, and there are elements of lovely bright fruit, impressive complexity and dense structure along with fresh, lively and youthful exuberance that all co-exist. A tour de force of winemaking that manages to express the profound nature of the Clos des Lambrays." 11/21

96-98 Points, Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy: "I tasted five of the 11 individual parcellaire cuvées – everything makes it in to the final blend except for the young vine block notes in the Morey 1er Cru. Jacques is adamant that the final wine should respect the totality of the Clos. Then we tried the blend: already, this seems to have taken on a deeper colour than any of the individual cuvees. Deep dense dark fruit, with a powerful underlying dark raspberry with some more lifted rose petal notes. Probably 85% whole bunch overall but the power of the fruit stops this taking the lead. It does underpin the whole though, especially on the palate, while there is also a crystalline limestone purity behind the sweetly ripe red berry fruit. The 2020 Lambrays has more heart to it than most vintages I have tasted in barrel. There is a fine long finish, a little liquorice touch, a complex and ageworthy Lambrays. Delicacy with a strong tensile thread. Tannins by analysis are very significant but you don’t see them. From now on, the wine will spend a second winter in barrel each year. I toyed with not giving the wine 5 stars, to leave the new team something to aim at, but the wine merits the top classification." 12/21