Domaine des Lambrays - Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru 2017

ANTONIO GALLONI: "The 2017 Clos des Lambrays: vinified and blended by Thierry Brouin, raised and racked by Boris Champy and bottled by current winemaker Jacques Desvauges. Got it? Good. There is just a touch of reduction on the nose, which is perhaps a little smudged and a bit static compared to the nascent 2018. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and dark berry fruit laced with clove, bay leaf and sage. The linear finish lacks some depth and grip. Not bad, though not the best in recent years."

THE WINEADVOCATE: "The 2017 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru opens in the glass with expressive aromas of sweet berry fruit, plums and orange rind that mingle with nuances of forest floor, smoked meats, cedar and spices. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and open-knit, with succulent acids and moderate concentration, concluding with a nicely defined finish. I expect this to flesh out a little as it bounces back from bottling."

WEINWISSER: "Beautifully, darkly aromatic with plenty of peppery spice. Woody rather than oaky. There’s freshness from the tannins as well as from the acidity and the texture is so silky on the mid palate yet with power on the finish. Refined, flowing, dry and long. Handsome beauty and so easy to taste even with the underlying intensity and power. There’s just a very slight hint of stems but not OTT. Dark elegance. (JH)"