Clos des Lambrays, Domaine des Lambrays 2009

**Note: produced from two large parcels of differing vine age - one that is approximately two-thirds of the blend and is now 45 years of age and a second, smaller group of vines that is approximately 20+ years of age; vinified with 100% whole clusters**An intensely floral and spicy nose that is wonderfully elegant and admirably pure speaks of red currant, blue berry, game, smoke and warm earth. The silky-textured, precise and mineral-inflected medium-bodied flavors possess copious extract that does a fine job of buffering the very firm tannins and allowing for perfect balance on the mouth coating and impressively persistent finish. A seductive and relatively accessible Clos des Lambrays that should be approachable with only a decade of cellar time yet last for 25 to 40 years.

The 2009 Clos des Lambrays continues to shine. The self-effacing Thierry Brouin has conjured an exquisite bouquet of wild strawberry, scorched earth, small red cherries and a touch of undergrowth. Brouin's style is to keep everything contained, natural and unpretentious and so you get a comparatively conservative Clos des Lambrays that is underpinned by light, tensile tannins, with a veneer of red fruit, not great weight but rather weightlessness that is unusual for this vintage. It is in keeping with the domaine's approach to Pinot Noir, one that I have learned to appreciate more and more with passing years

Medium red. Enticing aromas of raspberry, redcurrant, game, crushed rock, pepper and brown spices. Silky on entry, then delineated and energetic in the middle in the context of the year, with intense pepper and spice character currently keeping the wine's fruit element under wraps. Finishes quite dry, with a fine dusting of tannins and a hint of youthful bitterness. This calls for a good eight to ten years of cellaring.