Bourgogne (Burgundy) is one of the most famous wine regions in the world. Located in central eastern France, it produces some of the finest (and most expensive!) wines out there. Like other wine regions in the country, Bourgogne has its own classification system. The very best wines of the region are known as Grand Crus and the majority of them are located around villages in the Côte-de-Nuits, forming a patchwork on the eastern slopes facing the valley of the Saône River. I had the opportunity to get behind the scenes with one of these elite winemakers thanks to an exclusive visit to to Domaine des Lambrays!
Bourgogne’s prestige is partly due to generations of savoir-faire (know-how), but also due to the concept of terroir. In France, terroir is not just the soil. It is a concept that goes deeper, taking into account the geological history of the land, the climate, the elevation, and basically all natural factors. Bourgogne is particularly sensitive to its different terroirs. Each wine you drink from the region is truly a direct expression of the environment from which its grapes were grown from.
Morey-Saint-Denis is a Grand Cru village just 17km south of Dijon. Quaint and calm, you wouldn’t realize that it is home to 5 different Grand Crus! It is located between two famous neighbours, Gevery Chambertin (a favourite of Napoleon Bonaparte) to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south.
One of these Grand Cru plots is Clos des Lambrays. Dating back to the Roman occupation of Gaul, this wall-enclosed vineyard has been producing wine grapes for almost 2000 years! The name of the Clos first appeared in the writings of the Cistern Monks of the region in 1365. Like the the other Clos in this village, it grows almost only Pinot Noir grapes. In fact, the soil here is perfect for these grapes: marly limestone soils that are porous, offering good drainage. But more on that later.
The Clos is almost entirely owned by Domaine des Lambrays (there is a tiny strip owned by another estate). Besides Grand Cru, they also produce a 1er cru, “Les Loups”, a blend of young vines from the Clos with a 1er Cru parcel called “Le Village” (where I took the featured photo). In addition, they have a non-cru level wine. Other wines are two 1er Crus whites from Puligny-Montrachet. The Domaine has been run by the same family for decades until it was sold to LVMH group in 2014. In 2019, the talented oenologue Jacques Devauges was appointed the general manager. He was previously running Clos de Tart, another famous Grand Cru from the village.
Domaine des Lambrays includes a château and its cellars, built in the 17th century, and one of the most beautiful parks in the region, where three hundred year old cedars, catleyas and vintage roses stand side by side. They say that classical aesthetic of the estate influences in the aesthetic of the wine. I had the pleasure of visiting all of it with M. Jacques Devauges as my guide!
We began the tour in the breathtaking cuverie. It is completely brand new. The previous crumbling building here had been torn down within the last few of years. To limit environmental impact, the stones were used to build this gorgeous new space. French oak held the ceiling to new heights and a large window overlooking the gardens illuminated the interior. It was a place of serenity and calmness, perfect for fermenting grapes. The building is state-of-the-art while also complimenting the original historical structures of the estate.
Immaculately clean, most of the fermentation barrels were large 35hl, but there were progressively smaller ones on the other side of the room. I was also shown the estate’s newly installed hydraulics system, enclosed behind glass.
Like the cuverie, the cellars have also been renovated. The result is equally as gorgeous. Carved out of the natural limestone underground, they reworked the residual rock into bricks for the ceiling and walls. A large boulder was converted into a stunning table that is used for wine tasting experiences. Hundreds of locally made barrels were carefully stamped and lined to form an impressive display. The stamps indicate the different 10 sub-plots within the Clos. In the photo below, for example, 80 Ouvrées – Haut is the subplot at the top center of the Clos, where its famous gate is located. It overlooks the village.
They still have a part of the original cellar intact, dating back to the 17th century. This section displayed photos of the extensive construction process, as well as an ancient champagne bottle chandelier!
Following the cellars, I was brought back outside to learn about the viticultural practices of the Domaine. Currently organic, they are undergoing a transformation into biodynamic wines. Instead of chemicals, I learned about natural products, tissanes (herbal infusions), that are sprayed on the vines to deter pests and molds. These include powdered sand, bouse de corne (cow manure fermented in horns), prêle (horsetail), osier (basket willow/wicker), and ortie (nettle).
Even though it was raining, I was still able to enjoy the tranquil grounds. The original mansion dates back to the 1600s and they still have 300 year old cedars! In fact, the window of the cuverie offered a direct view of the trees. The garden is known as one of the most beautiful in the region. Orchids, white vintage roses, and wisteria blossom around immaculately manicured walkways and romantic seating areas. The manor itself has been lovingly restored in recent years, after decades of neglect.
The visit ended with a tour of the vineyards. Autumn is my favourite time to visit, when the leaves are colourful and the vendages (grape harvests) are finished. A few grapes remained on the vines — rejects of the hand harvest, but still sublimely sweet and fragrant (better than anything from grocery stores!). The Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru sits within centuries’ old walls, with vines averaging 40 years of age.
At this point, I had the opportunity to converse with the geologist who analyses the Grand Cru terroirs. Absolutely riveting stuff! It is important to understand the geological history here to appreciate why it produces such fantastic wines. It is a little complicated, but I simplified it. When dinosaurs were wandering around, the village was at the bottom of a tropical sea. This is how the calcareous soils were deposited. Millions of years later, the sea retreated. The land later stretched and broke due to other geologic reasons. This created a rift and lots of fractures. Eventually, all this was covered by glaciers during the ice age. When the ice retreated, the village was inundated with alluvial flows. These created the cones/hills that are the best slopes for wine growing today. The Grand Cru Clos’ are located on the steepest slopes, overlooking the village.
Compared with its neighbouring Grand Cru, Clos des Lambrays extends much farther up the steep slope to the west , where the soils contain much more limestone. This contributes minerality and balance to its wines. It is interesting to note that the vines here are planted in north-south orientation, only one of six vineyards in Bourgogne to do so. This allows the vines to capture sunlight evenly. The soil, slope, wind, sunlight, and other environmental conditions (as well as the age of vines) vary ever so slightly within the Clos. Because of this, it has been invisibly split into 10 different parcels. The grapes and resulting wines from these parcels each display their own unique characteristics!
The upper part of the vineyard is rockier with thin red soil, which emphasizes the elegance of the wine. The clay-based soil deepens down the hill, as the slope flattens out. This deeper soil brings power to the wine. For reference, there is a well in this section of the vineyard with water about 8m down.
And that concludes the tour. Overall, it was fascinating to learn about this Grand Cru Domaine of Bourgogne, directly from the people who work there. Not only did I learn more about the wine and terroir, but also about environmentally-friendly winemaking processes. My visit was eye-opening and absolutely wonderful. Thank you to LVMH and the Domaine des Lambrays team for this exclusive experience!