(Please see my overall account of the 2018 vintage here.)
2018 was an unusual transition year for Lambrays.
Thierry Brouin retired as technical directer and his appointed successor, Boris Champy, completed his first solo vintage of the wines in 2018. Soon thereafter, Boris left under circumstances that I still do not understand.
On March 1, 2019, Jacques Devagues, previously technical director Clos de Tart and prior to that at Domaine de l’Arlot, became Champy’s replacement.
It was with Jacques that I tasted the wines below; 2019 is the first vintage that is his full responsibility. In 2019, the estate became organic, and in 2020 it will begin the process of conversion to biodynamic production. There is also an increasing emphasis on vinification by individual parcels.
Back to 2018, harvesting began on 25 August with the reds and finished on 3 September. The whites were harvested on 27 August. Yields were a little below 40 hl/ha. There are no whole clusters in the village Morey, 50% in the Morey 1er Cru, and 80% in the Clos des Lambrays.
Malo-lactic fermentations were rapid. Alcohols are modest for the vintage: 13.6% for the Clos des Lambrays, 13.4% for the Morey 1er Cru, 13.6% for the village Morey, and 13.4% for the whites. (Continue reading here.)