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.
98+ Points Wine Advocate
The 2020 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is a rich, sensual wine that bursts from the glass with aromas of blackberries, loamy soil, smoked meats, exotic spices, rose petals, orange rind and black truffles. Full-bodied, multidimensional and fleshy, it’s broad and concentrated, with a more generous, muscular profile than the precise, tightly wound Chambertin. Which will ultimately emerge superior is anyone’s guess, but the Clos de Bèze is obviously more forward at this early juncture.