| 2014-10-02 12:30 |
IWC: (Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin) Bright, deep red, darker than the 2012 today. Wild, soil-driven aromas of blueberry, violet, black pepper, leather and game. Lush, velvety and compellingly sweet, with a magically fine-grained texture and outstanding concentration to the dark berry, violet and earth flavors. This is fat with fruit, and the noble tannins allow the back end to open and expand. Compared to the 2012 version, this may show a bit less inner-mouth tension but it's richer and more complex at this stage. |
| 2014-10-02 12:34 |
WA: The 2011 Chambertin Grand Cru clearly subsumes the new oak better than the Clos de Beze in 2011, allowing the terroir to come through and demonstrating better delineation and poise. With aeration, delicate floral notes begin to emerge. The palate is well-balanced with lovely poise – a more approachable Chambertin from Rousseau with fine tannins and an elegant, refined finish. Very fine. Drink 2014-2023.
The man, the legend himself, was sitting in the entrance office. Charles Rousseau, now in his ninth decade, looked gaunter than when we last met two or three years ago, but what a privilege just to see him enjoying the summer rays. I tasted through the 2011 with vineyard manager Frederic Robert, whose candid answers I always appreciate when tasting through their portfolio, especially since it is easy to succumb to reputation at this address. The 2011 is the first vintage with a redesigned bottle now embossed with the domaine name to prevent fraud. He also spoke about their new 1.3-hectares of vine from Chateau de Gevrey that is tentatively called “Clos du Chateau” or something similar. However, he admitted that there is much work to do in the vineyard since around 25% to 30% of the vines are missing and were replanting last October. “We started to pick early on the last day in August as spring had been so hot,” he informed me as we broached the subject of the 2011s. “It was a ripe vintage with more acidity if you compare it to 2007 but the wines are more balanced. It is more a vintage for restaurants than for aging.” Given that this is one of my favorite producers in the Cote d’Or, I have to admit that the Village and Premier Crus were lacking a little stuffing and precision compared to their own impeccable standards. In a way, I do not mind that since Rousseau always expresses the strengths and weaknesses of a vintage, which is something to be admired. Plus, on one or two occasions, I wonder whether they should have dialed down the new oak, in particular with the Clos-de-Beze that seems unable to handle the wood nearly as well as the Chambertin. Still, there are some beautiful wines here in 2011 and a quick barrel tasting of 2012s revealed joy to come. |