I received an offer for the 2013 Clos des Lambrays at $200. I remember, after learning of the Domaine sale, that there were vintages still available for around $100, but as expected those disappeared pretty quickly. Then the bottom was around $125 and now they are already bottoming out at $150 for the lesser vintages. Wine Searcher lists the 2009 at $175 and some 2006 and 2008 are in that range. You can get the 2001, 2010 and 2012 for the same price as the current release. The bottom is moving up.
I did some general shopping on Grand Cru wines and that is true in general, though I found some 2008s still out there at old school pricing.
With the new owners, I’m expecting they are going to keep pressing the price up in most years by $25-50 until they are on level with Clos des Tart. These may look like a bargain in my rear view.
Somehow I know this is going to end up costing me some money…
The 05…yes indeed, but we have to wait a long time to open it… hence it was cheap to reward us for the patience…
Excellent wine… 1er cru! But not in the same league as Clos de la Roche Ponsot or even further behind say Romanee St Vivant Hudelot.
Disagree - the Puligny is good but very heavy in oak, too much for me (at least up to 07/08) …
Lambrays can be excellent, and the 2001 IS … but not on the level of the very best GCs like RSV, Rb, Ponson CdlR (in successful years)
This decade Domaine des Lambrays seems to have really ‘found the formula’. Sure, the 2005 is very fine, but 2010, 2012 and 2013 are in a different league to my mind, and incontestably of grand cru quality.
2001 Lambrays was the wine the hooked me on Burgundy…think I bought it for $65…still a buyer of more recent vintages but will likely drop out once they cross $200
I am a big fan of the '10, but unfortunately it has jumped in price dramatically over the past year. I have not tried the '12 yet, but the '10 beats the other vintages I have had including '09, '02, '01 and '99. There is something about the '09, a burnt flavor that I don’t like. The '01 and '99 seem muddy and tired, but they were auction buys so could be a function of storage. I thought the '02 was drinking really well the last time I had it a few years ago and it was much brighter and fruitier than the '01/'99.
For the last several years this has been my favorite $100 wine, much less on closeout, more since 2009. I bought 2012s at a little over $200 for love, nostalgia, habit…not sure if it or 2013 will be my last vintage. Anyone have good notes on the '13?
Alex - we could move this to the '78 Vintage Recommendation thread to avoid the drift, but I doubt if anyone minds. Anyway, the 3 bottles in the picture are 6L’s of '78 Mondavi Reserve. I first tried this wine at a charity lunch where they were pouring glasses from a 6L for a donation. I really liked it and it was the first time I had pre-‘91 Mondavi Reserve. A few months later a 6L showed up at a Zachy’s auction from the Graham Lyons’ collection. I was looking for a big bottle for a party I was planning on having in the near future and I won the lot. I also got some late '70’s and early 80’s Johannesburg Rieslings splits from Mondavi and Phelps that have been great - but that is a thread drift of a thread drift. We opened the 6L at the party and it was great. Wine of the night for most. I figured it was lightening in a bottle and I would never get to experience that again. However, about a year ago 2 more 6L’s showed up at auction and I won them again. We opened one of those last October at another party, carbon copy of the first. Not sure when I will open the 3rd, but I hope it drinks like the other 2.
I recently picked up a bottle of '75 Mondavi Reserve at a wine shop in Napa for a dinner I was going to that night. I had no idea what to expect, the CT notes were just meh, but same style as the '78, sweet, balanced, secondary notes, drinks younger than expected, just lovely. This wine must have been a monster on release, but the alcohol is only around 12%. I enjoy old Cali just as much as old Brdx, Burg and Champers.
Probably still a good value at $200 but hard to pull the trigger if you bought this wine in past. I paid $70 for the '01 a couple yrs after release. Wish I had a bought a few 08s on release too as those were still pretty cheap too, then.
