This is showing lovely development with aromas and flavours of wet leaf, sous-bois and redcurrant and red berry fruits. with a truffle note to finish. Not as weighty as more recent vintages, with dried herbs and a whiff of tobacco which add further complexity with more time in the glass. Still has good freshness and crisp acidity on the finish. This is at its peak now but will continue to drink well for at least five years. A fine 2008.

Floral, smoke and spice aromas lead off, with fresh berry and mineral flavors adding depth and dimension. This is elegant, with class and breed, unfolding its layers right through the lengthy aftertaste. Best from 2014 through 2028. 100 cases imported.

The 2008 Clos des Lambrays smells of resin, incense, sassafras, and myriad fresh red berries; comes to the palate with terrific brightness, lift, pungency, and verve; and finishes with vibrant spiciness, exuberant sheer juiciness, and admirable clarity. With abundant but fine tannins, I suspect it will justify at least a decade’s attention, during which perhaps mineral and carnal complexities will emerge that are for now at most merely hinted-at.- DS

Medium red. Almost a confectionery sweetness to the aromas of black cherry, cassis and dried flowers. Fat, sweet, lush and fine-grained; this really fills the mouth with perfume. The berry, pepper and mineral flavors are complicated by a saline, earthy nuance. Finishes with superb breadth of fine tannins and excellent persistence. When I asked Brouin what would happen to the peppery acidity of 2008 with aging, he opened a bottle of the W98 Clos des Lambrays, which showed a tannic edge but maintained a silky texture with mellow spice, truffle and molasses notes and plenty of energy for further aging. I would not have described this wine as peppery, and Brouin added that the 2008 began life with more fruit than the earlier vintage. By Stephen Tanzer on March 2011