2022 Clos des Lambrays

An 8.66-ha climat with vines aged 22–124 years. Vines are planted east–west so spared the worst effects of sunburn, hence the tressage technique of training vines to provide shade appeals less to Devauges than to some of his peers. 80% whole bunch. 19 months in 20% new oak. The three cuvées parcellaires below are not commercial samples, they were chosen to demonstrate the variation within the Clos des Lambrays – a re-creation in London of what one could taste of the 11 plots of the Clos. Plante Bas : 0.78-ha plot in the north-east corner. Brown soil over various limestones. Average vine age 42 years. All destemmed. 19 months in 20% new oak. Deep, glowing crimson. Intense, wild, almost raw nose (shades of Pacalet!) with a hint of liquorice. Lots of weight and complexity. Not nearly ready but interesting and a stake in the ground. Muscular and very long. Le Cerisier : 0.92-ha plot in the south-west corner next to Clos de Tart. Average vine age 90 years Thin red soil over ancient limestone. 19 months in 20% new oak. Bright crimson. Pale rim. Much gentler nose than Plante Bas. ‘Feminine’ stereotype. Gentle and incredibly long. My favourite or the three cuvées parcellaires and the most seductive. The finish is especially complex. 80 Ouvrées Haut : 0.85-ha plot in the middle of the top of the slope that is 60 m higher than the two plots described above. Dark brown soil over Premeaux limestone. Average vine age 90 years. 19 months in 20% new oak. Bright crimson. Edgy and racy. Nose of candy. Then lots of chew and limestone freshness on the palate. Final blend Tank sample; to be bottled in early April. Deep, glowing, dark crimson. Reticent nose but clearly great depth. Almost bitter finish because it is stuffed with tannins! For now this is less approachable than, say, Le Cerisier 2022. Great tension and depth but brooding rather than seductive. (JR)

A cool, airy and beautifully layered nose is comprised by liqueur-like aromas of essence of red and dark currant, violet, rose petal and crushed fennel wisps. There is superb depth to the moderately dense and equally seductively textured flavors that possess a sophisticated mouthfeel before terminating a well-balanced, youthfully austere and impressively long finish. This refined yet powerful effort is quite tightly wound and is clearly a wine built for long-term cellaring. Excellent. Drink 2037+

Eleven different parcels from around the clos vinified and matured separately. Always assembled together as one lot. The vintage defines the character and yield of each. Cask sample. Dark-mid ruby. A different beast. Cassis, loganberry and blackberry on the nose and palate. Floral and vegetal notes, too – green freshness from the stems. Seductively ripe and full-bodied. Showing well today but will inevitably close. There’s real potency in this. Solid as a rock but so seductive, too. (MH)