Domaine des Lambrays - Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2009

WINE SPECTATOR: "Beautiful aromas and flavors of sandalwood, rose, strawberry and raspberry are married to an elegant, lacy frame. Intense, yet light-weight, with fine complexity and a long, fruit- and spice-filled aftertaste. Best from 2015 through 2035. 150 cases imported."

WEINWISSER: "Fruchtbetontes Bouquet: Maulbeeren, Kirschen und Brombeere, ein Hauch Feuerstein. Jugendliche, knackige Säure, noch staubiges Tannin, sehr eleganter und komplexer Pinot, fili-graner und langer Ausklang."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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. Tasted March 2013."

BURGHOUND: "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."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Relatively pale. Particularly aromatic. Very sweet start – a bit like the village wine squared. Lots of vitality. I can’t see this wine winning blind tastings though it is certainly relaxed and authentic. I reckon the village wine is the best buy here. Some raw fruit at the moment."