Burgundy

Grand Cru vineyard site resp. appellation in the commune of Morey-Saint-Denis in the Côte d´Or in Burgundy in France. It was first mentioned in the mid-14th century, as „Clos de Lambrey“, named after an aristocratic family. After the French Revolution (1789) the property was sold on auction, and completely fragmented. The site was classified as a Grand Cru in 1981. After a changeable history that saw a large number of owners come and go, the Domaine des Lambrays was acquired practically in its entirety by German industrialist Günter Freund and his son Hans-Joachim in 1996. Only a tiny parcel of land 4,2 Ar in extent is owned by the Domaine Taupenot. The vineyard has an easterly aspect, and is located at an altitude of around 300 metres above sea level, it has an extent of 8,7 hectares of vineyard area. In the upper section, there are marl soils, with clay and limestone in the lower section. The vineyard is enclosed by a wall. To the north lies the Grand Cru site Clos Saint-Denis, to the south it is neighboured by the Grand Cru site Clos de Tart. The vineyard is divided into the four climats (parcels) Les Bouchots, Lambray, Les Larrets and Meix-Rentier. The red wine is extremely long-lived, and is made virtually exclusively from Pinot Noir. Other red varieties permitted are Pinot Beurot and Pinot Liébault, theoretically up to 15% of Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris could also be used. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The wine is vinified separately for each parcel, and as a rule as much as half the production is declassified, and sold as Morey-Saint-Denis Premier Cru. The wine is matured in 60 to 75% new oak barrels. The wine is fined with egg white, but not filtered. Annual production is around 35.000 bottles.