Domaine Armand Rousseau is one of the most famous and best domaines in Burgundy. Based in Gevrey-Chambertin, the estate is formed of just over 15 hectares, over half of which is Grand Cru.
This is one of Burgundy’s greatest domaines – in terms of history, vineyard holdings and quality of wine. The original Armand Rousseau was at the forefront of the first wave of domaine bottling in the 1930s. He was succeeded by his son Charles in 1959, shortly after they had bought a significant slice of the Clos St Jacques vineyard. Today Eric, grandson of Armand, is in charge of the vines and cellar, with the help of his daughter Cyrielle.
The domaine produces pale, finely structured wines of great elegance and stamina. The simple principle of old (but not ancient) vines and sensible yields dictates the Rousseau style. Sometimes the wines can appear light in their youth, but they nearly always take on weight as they age.
93-95 Points Allen Meadows
Loads of spices are intermingled with blackberries and black cherries in the wonderful aromatics of the 2003 Chambertin-Clos de Beze. A bold, ample, medium to full-bodied wine, it expands on the palate, revealing great breadth and richness. Hugely spicy, this candied blackberry-dominated effort sports a persistent finish crammed with solid tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020.