Clos Des Lambrays Grand Cru, Domaine Taupenot-Merme, 2021

Another richly satisfying range of wines from Romain, who continues to craft wines of structure, clear vineyard expression and complexity from an exciting array of vineyards. The wines are high class examples of their appellations but still offer good value. Romain told us that despite the stress on the vines due to nearly four weeks of temperatures above 35 degrees, there were (just) sufficient bursts of rain to ensure balanced ripening. This led to a good number of small, healthy, concentrated berries, with harvest beginning on 4th September and concluding ten days later. This early picking has ensured wines with plenty of flesh but also freshness, as the decrease in acidity from the must to finished wine was limited, so they are balanced with pH at 3.5 – 3.65, and alcohols at 13.2-13.8. Romain describes the vintage as “gourmandise”, but not as much as 2015, as has more freshness. The wines are juicy and fruitful with sophisticated structure and good ageing potential. New oak is at 40% maximum for grand crus, 25-30% for premier crus, and 20% for village wines.