Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This wine is refined and ethereal, if not a bit fragile, with aromas of dried roses, wet forest floor, grilled citrus, iron and pretty red berry fruit. On the palate it shows beautiful berries and fine chalky tannins that are cohesively knit. Peppery spices loom large in the ethereal finish that lasts almost a minute. This is one of the four new additions that Domaine des Lambrays acquired. The smallest cru of Morey-Saint-Denis at just 0.87 hectare.
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Vinous
The 2022 Morey-Saint-Denis Clos Baulets 1er Cru has a very focused bouquet. The 40% stems (again) are neatly integrated, less expressive and generous than the Clos Sorbé, but this has developed more terroir expression with subtle slate-like scents that enhance complexity. Wonderful delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with a fresher citrus entry and powdery tannins. It is less sensual in style but has a touch more tension on the finish with that blood-orange tincture in the background. Excellent – this has slipped past the Clos Sorbé!
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
While Morey-St-Denis of Burgundy might not get the same attention as its neighbors, Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south, there is no reason why it shouldn’t. The same line of limestone runs from the Combe de Lavaux in Gevrey—all the way through Morey—ending in Chambolle.
There are four grand cru vineyards, moving southwards from the border with Gevrey-Chambertin: Clos de la Roche, Clos St-Denis, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de Tart and a small segment of Bonnes-Mares overlapping from Chambolle. Clos de la Roche is probably the finest vineyard, giving wines of true depth, body, and sturdiness for the long haul than most other vineyards.
Pinot Noir from Morey-St-Denis is known for its deep red cherry, blackcurrant and blueberry fruit. Aromas of spice, licorice and purple flowers are present in the wines’ youth, evolving to forest and game as the wine ages.