1947 Clos des Lambrays

The 1947 Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru is a wine of heroic stature and one of the high points of this tasting, wafting from the glass with a kaleidoscopically complex bouquet of sweet wild berries, dark chocolate, ripe plums, black truffle, rich loamy soil, wood smoke, espresso roast and grilled ceps. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered and extraordinarily concentrated, with immense depth and dimension, its fine-grained structuring tannins still lavishly cloaked in succulent and sapid fruit. The finish is incredibly long. While this is a rich, gourmand vintage of Clos des Lambrays that reflects the torrid vintage, it is also remarkably vibrant and delineated. A third bottle drunk in California a few months later was just as compelling. In cold cellars, it should see out its centenary in style.