Armand Rousseau
Usually mentioned in the same breadth as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Domaine Leroy, Armand Rousseau has established itself as a legendary producer owning mostly Grand Cru vineyards in Gevrey Chambertin.
Born in 1884 to a family deeply entrenched in the wine trade, Armand Rousseau inherited several plots and the current domaine building, one of the oldest in Gevrey-Chambertin, as part of his wedding in 1909. After acquiring more plots in Charmes-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche and Chambertin in the late 1910s and 1920s, the domaine became one of the first in Burgundy to bottle his own wine. Rousseau’s wines were also amongst the first to hit the shores of the United States after the Prohibition, and his focus on exporting his wine is shared by his son Charles, who took over the reins in 1959 after Armand was unfortunately killed in a car accident. Today, the domaine is run by Charles’s son, Eric, who is also the winemaker.
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Vinous (96-98)
The 2018 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has a very well-defined bouquet of red berry fruit laced with undergrowth, rose petals, incense and hints of white pepper; so much vigor here. The palate is medium-bodied with filigreed tannins, wonderful tension and great length on the finish. This is a class apart, an intellectual and downright delicious Chambertin that will surely gain even more sophistication during its second winter in barrel. Awesome.HK$74,885.00 -
Vinous (97-99)
The 2019 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru clearly has more intensity than the Chambertin. True, it is showing a little more wood at the moment, but I also find more fruit – raspberry and wild strawberry – interlaced with shavings of black truffle and forest fern. The palate is medium-bodied with supple but firm tannins. This is endowed with impressive depth and body weight and yet it retains disarming elegance on a finish that fans out gloriously. "This is the business" is the phrase that passed through my mind as I tried to keep a stoic face after encountering this fabulous Clos-de-Bèze.HK$37,970.00 -
Vinous (98-100)
The 2020 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru has an even more complex bouquet than the Chambertin - a quite profound, quite riveting cornucopia of red berry fruit, sous-bois and crushed stone all delivered with breathtaking delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, perhaps more saline than the Chambertin, wonderful acidity with real depth and structure towards the finish that already feels extremely persistent. Potential wine of the vintage, right here.HK$34,090.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2021 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru is so much more expressive on the nose compared to the Chambertin (which is a cooler terroir due to the clay, its location next to the combe and adjacent to the frost). Shimmering red fruit, crushed stone, orange pith and pressed iris petals make up the bouquet. You could lose yourself in these aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-boned tannins. This is tensile, mineral-driven, nicely poised and exuberant, with a sensual and pixelated finish. This just drives home its class. Brilliant.HK$21,680.00 -
Vinous (96-98)
The 2021 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru is so much more expressive on the nose compared to the Chambertin (which is a cooler terroir due to the clay, its location next to the combe and adjacent to the frost). Shimmering red fruit, crushed stone, orange pith and pressed iris petals make up the bouquet. You could lose yourself in these aromas. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-boned tannins. This is tensile, mineral-driven, nicely poised and exuberant, with a sensual and pixelated finish. This just drives home its class. Brilliant.HK$69,740.00 -
Jancis Robinson (19)
100% new oak. Great intensity. No problem of too much oak. Great energy and delight. So juicy and appetising yet with great concentration and fine tannins. Magnificent.HK$113,830.00