2003 Domaine des Lambrays Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Loups

Domaine des Lambrays in Morey-Saint-Denis, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits, traces its history to vineyards in the 14th century that belonged to an abbey. After the French revolution the property was sold off to private owners. The estate was bought and sold several times in the 20th century, and in the 1980s Thierry Brouin became the winemaker, a step that meant great improvements to the estate and the wines. Today the estate is owned by Bernard Arnault’s Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) luxury group. LVMH bought the estate in 2014 from Ruth Freund, who, with her late husband Gunter, were Chevaliers du Tastevin, making them members of Burgundy's most prestigious organization of wine enthusiasts. Domaine des Lambrays owns 27 acres, including 21 acres in Clos des Lambrays, a grand cru monopole. The Clos des Lambrays was promoted from Premier Cru to Grand Cru in 1981, and is also notable because it is one of the largest Grand Cru monopoles in Burgundy. The domaine also has a red Premier Cru parcel in Morey-Saint-James and white Premier Crus in Puligny-Montrachet.

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.