Named vineyard
Clos des Lambrays
Identity card
Grand cruAOPRed
Burgundy › Côte de Nuits › Morey-Saint-Denis · Recognised on 27 April 1981
- Grand cru
- Premier cru
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- An 8.70 ha clos (2009) across three lieux-dits, wholly walled in.
- On its steepest part, the vines are planted across the slope.
- At most 42 hl/ha and at least 11.5% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
Red wine onlyPinot Noir
Allowed as a small share of the red wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris (15% at most of the vines in each plot)
Only interplanted among the vines
Production rules
42
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
9,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least until 15 June after the harvest
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 68 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 12.5 % ABV across 64 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 76 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Lower half of the Côte, 260 to 350 m up
- Soils: Crinoidal limestone and marl; frost-split limestone above
- Climate: To the north, a combe brings a cool, airy mesoclimate
Wine style
- small black fruits
- oriental spices
- complex and delicate
- long on the palate
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
25 October 2011
Cahier des charges homologué par le décret n° 2011-1384 du 25 octobre 2011, JORF du 28 octobre 2011. Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 27 avril 1981.
Labelling terms
- The name may be followed by the words "grand cru"
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahiers des charges d'AOC publiés au BO-AGRI (décrets des 24 et 25 octobre 2011, second lot) — dont « Corton-Charlemagne », « Clos des Lambrays » et « Gevrey-Chambertin »— Ministère de l'agriculture et de la souveraineté alimentaire — Bulletin officiel (BO-AGRI)
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
- Trade bodyFiches d'appellation des vins de Bourgogne (surfaces et récoltes)— Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB)
A red grand cru of Morey-Saint-Denis, 8.70 hectares entirely within walls, spread over three cadastral lieux-dits: Les Bouchots, Les Meix Rentiers and Les Larrets. What sets it apart is the planting: on the steepest ground the rows follow the contour, north to south, which checks erosion and shades the fruit from the fiercest sun. Its appellation was recognised only in April 1981, half a century after its neighbours'.
Mini-challenge
Clos des Lambrays
3 questions on Clos des Lambrays, all answered right, and the appellation is mastered in your Atlas.
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