Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, Domaine Taupenot-Merme, 2019 - Magnum
Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, Domaine Taupenot-Merme, 2019 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 13.5%
- Red Still
- Pinot Noir
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Optimal drinking window: 2026 - 2045
Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, Domaine Taupenot-Merme, 2019 comes from one of the Côte de Nuits’ most historic walled vineyards, sitting just above the village of Morey-Saint-Denis. It's a true Grand Cru in every sense: a large, enclosed vineyard with a mosaic of soils — limestone, marl and clay — spread across different elevations and exposures. This natural variation gives the wine both depth and nuance, combining power from the lower, richer soils with finesse and lift from the higher, stonier sections.
Taupenot-Merme’s parcel within the clos is handled with their usual measured, terroir-first approach, focusing on clarity, structure and ageing potential rather than sheer weight. The site itself is known for producing wines that sit stylistically between the muscular intensity of Clos de Tart and the silkier charm of Bonnes-Mares.
The 2019 vintage in Burgundy was warm and dry, yet remarkably balanced. Low yields and thick-skinned berries delivered concentration and structure, but crucially the wines retained freshness and definition. In the grands crus, 2019 has produced bottles of real depth and authority, with the balance to age beautifully. It’s widely regarded as one of the standout vintages of the decade.
Right now, in 2026, this is showing beautifully as a primary wine — the red fruit is vivid and the structure clearly drawn — but it is not yet at full stretch. Over the next three to five years the fruit will integrate with the oak and tannin, and secondary complexity, dried flowers, forest floor, sous-bois, will begin to emerge. We would call peak drinking somewhere between 2030 and 2040, where the wine should be showing the full range of what a great Morey Grand Cru can offer. The magnum format extends that window meaningfully; larger formats evolve more slowly and hold their peak longer, so patience here is genuinely rewarded. Beyond 2045 the wine may start to become leaner and more tertiary in character, though in an excellent cellar it will remain interesting for longer.
What the critics say:
"The 2019 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru is a "decent" quantity this year according to Romain Taupenot, though that only equates to a measly 170-litres. Despite the miniscule quantity, this is still de-stemmed. It has a crisp nose with brambly red berry fruit, pressed rose petals and a touch of Earl Grey. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins. It feels cohesive and poised, gentle towards the smooth finish with lightly spiced red fruit, bay leaf and a pinch of sea salt. Lovely...if you can find it."
Tasting Notes
AppearanceDeep, clear ruby with a bright, youthful rim and good depth of colour for a Morey.
NoseBrambly red cherry and wild strawberry, fresh and precise, with a lifted floral note of pressed rose petals. Behind that, a distinctive Earl Grey quality — dried bergamot, a breath of smoke — gives the nose real personality. The whole thing feels poised rather than exuberant.
PalateMedium-bodied and well-framed, with fine-grained tannins that sit close to the fruit without any roughness. There is real cohesion here, the 2019 warmth giving concentration without weight, and a pinch of sea salt on the mid-palate adds definition. Spiced red fruit — bay leaf, a suggestion of clove — carries through to a smooth, gently persistent finish.
FinishClean, mineral, and long, the salinity lingering well after the fruit has settled.
Overall impressionA wine of real precision and quiet authority — 170 litres produced, and every drop earns its Grand Cru status.
Food Pairings
In Burgundy, Pinot Noir of this calibre would traditionally be poured alongside roast guinea fowl or a slow-braised poularde, where the bird's gentle fat mirrors the wine's silky texture. A classic boeuf bourguignon — proper, hours-long, with lardons and pearl onions — is the region's most honest answer to a wine with this kind of structure. Locals would also reach for a young Époisses or Comté, the former's pungent wash-rind character playing against the wine's acidity in a way that is challenging and compelling in equal measure. Mushroom-led dishes work particularly well with Morey: a simple risotto aux cèpes, or veal with morel cream sauce, would let the wine's spice and mineral depth come forward.
We think this wine would go well with
Serve at 16-17°C — cold enough to keep the perfume lifted and the acidity fresh, but not so cool that the tannins clamp down. Given that this is a magnum of a structured 2019, we would decant for at least 45 minutes, ideally closer to 90; there is still some tightness to coax open. A large-bowled Burgundy glass — Zalto Burgundy or similar — gives the aromatics the space they need to develop as the wine opens up in the glass.
Clos des Lambrays spans around eight hectares on the mid-slopes of Morey-Saint-Denis, a single walled vineyard almost entirely classified as Grand Cru. The soils shift noticeably as you move up the slope: richer limestone-clay at the base gives way to stonier, marlier ground higher up, and this mosaic is at the root of the wine's characteristic combination of weight and lift. The clos sits between around 270 and 310 metres, catching good morning sun while remaining naturally protected. It is this interplay of elevation, soil type and aspect, rather than any single factor, that accounts for the wine sitting stylistically between the muscular and the fine.
Morey-Saint-Denis is one of the Côte de Nuits' less shouted-about communes, sitting between Gevrey-Chambertin to the north and Chambolle-Musigny to the south, and it wears that in-between character rather well. The village holds five Grands Crus — Clos de Tart, Clos des Lambrays, Clos Saint-Denis, Clos de la Roche, and a sliver of Bonnes-Mares — which is a remarkable concentration for such a small appellation. Wines from here tend to carry more structure than Chambolle yet more perfume and precision than Gevrey, a balance that makes them genuinely exciting for the cellar. The commune is arguably underappreciated relative to its neighbours, which is good news for those paying attention.
The 2019 vintage in Burgundy delivered exactly what vignerons needed after a string of challenging years: a textbook growing season that let the grapes ripen slowly and evenly. Spring arrived gently, summer stayed warm without punishing heat spikes, and crucially, September brought those cool nights that preserve acidity whilst allowing full phenolic ripeness. We find ourselves talking about 2019 as one of those vintages where nature simply cooperated, giving winemakers healthy fruit with natural balance rather than forcing them to correct for extremes in the cellar.
What emerged are Burgundies with remarkable freshness married to genuine depth—the Pinot Noirs show that silky texture and bright red fruit character that makes great Burgundy so compelling, whilst the Chardonnays have both the mineral backbone and subtle richness that age beautifully. The quality runs impressively deep across all appellations, from village wines that drink like premier crus to grand crus that remind you why Burgundy commands such devotion. These wines are drinking beautifully now if you fancy them young and vibrant, though we suspect the better bottles will reward patience well into the 2030s.
FAQs
What does this wine taste like?
Think brambly red cherry and wild strawberry on the nose, lifted with pressed rose petals and a distinctive Earl Grey spice. The palate is medium-bodied, cohesive, and precise, with fine-grained tannins, a touch of sea salt, and a long, clean finish. It sits closer to the silky, perfumed end of the Côte de Nuits spectrum than the muscular.
When should I drink this wine?
It is accessible now and showing well, but it is not yet at full complexity. We would ideally hold it until 2030 and drink with real pleasure until 2040 or beyond — the magnum format means it will evolve more slowly than a standard bottle, so you have time on your side.
Is a magnum worth the premium over a standard bottle?
For a wine you intend to cellar, absolutely. Larger formats age more slowly and evenly because the ratio of wine to oxygen ingress through the cork is more favourable. This 2019 will be more complex and fresher at 15 years in magnum than in a standard 75cl bottle. If you are buying to drink in the next two or three years, the difference is less meaningful.
What food should I serve with this?
Roast guinea fowl, a proper boeuf bourguignon, or veal with morel cream sauce are the natural partners. Mushroom-led dishes work particularly well with Morey-Saint-Denis of this quality. If you want cheese, reach for a young Comté rather than anything too pungent.
How should I serve it?
Serve at 16-17°C and decant for at least 45 minutes — closer to 90 if you can. A large-bowled Burgundy glass gives the aromatics the room they need. Do not rush it; the wine opens up considerably over the first hour in the glass.
Who makes this wine and why does it matter?
Taupenot-Merme are one of the Côte de Nuits' quietly serious domaines, farming across Morey-Saint-Denis, Gevrey-Chambertin, and Chambolle-Musigny with a measured, precision-first approach. Their parcel within the Clos des Lambrays is tiny — just 170 litres produced in 2019 — which makes this one of the harder-to-find expressions of a vineyard that is already not easy to come by. The clos itself is one of Burgundy's great historic walled vineyards, with a single-site identity that very few places on earth can claim.
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