Because 140 characters will never be enough

1. 

   JT
   Member

   Had the chance to try two of Rousseau's Chambertin side-by-sde. From the 2 wines below, I think I’ve started to have a slightly better understanding of this Grand Cru. Chambertin, as opposed to its twin Chambertin-Clos de Beze, is always the more quiet brother with breed and elegance. It’s never overtly showy nor the one easiest to like. It demands time and effort to understand and appreciate.

   Any comments from anyone about this?

   1997 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
   First impression was stems but it gradually faded away into the background. This is not a bruiser but has sufficient concentration to be a Grand Cru. Quite lush on the palate once it opened up and I get some caramel when it was left in the glass for a while. Starting to evolve into something secondary. Definitely one of the better 1997s I’ve had and still holding on strong.

   1998 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin – France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru
   Again, tiny bit of stems on the nose with a deep solid core. This had more presense than the 1997 but in a much more quiet and unassuming way and some tension on the palate. As with most great Burgundies, this is actually quite difficult to describe. The balance is there, the power without weight is there, the transparency is there and of course sheer elegance. Perhaps I can imagine it as a cool and confident person, a feminine soul in a masculine exterior, personified by Joan of Arc.

   Posted 8 years ago #
2. 

   bill nanson
   admin

   Nice notes JT - good to see as I have both these and the 2000 as my only Rousseau Chambertins in the cellar - but haven't ever opened one.

   I'm really interested in your 'more quiet brother' phrase, because my experience of the wines young (I tasted 99-2006 when released), I always found the Bèze to be the quieter and more mineral, the Chambertin to be the (vanilla) oakier and louder. That's one of the reasons I've waited to try bottles of my own - perhaps they exchange personalities with bottle age...(?)

   Posted 8 years ago #
3. 

   JT
   Member

   Interesting. A 1998 Bouchard Chambertin I've had before showed similarly to the Rousseau, except without the breed and presence. But a 2001 Bèze chez Rousseau and several from Jadot were all bold and showy wines. Perhaps it's the vintage?

   Posted 8 years ago #
4. 

   emile
   Member

   I'm interested in the stems comment because 2009 was supposedly the 1st vintage Rousseau has vinified with(at least aportion) whole cluster.

   Posted 8 years ago #
5. 

   emile
   Member

   Clive Coates says Rousseau Chambertin gains weight with age. While Jeremy Seysess from Dujac says Rousseau hit it out of the park in 2007, I'll be interested to taste how well the wines age.

   Posted 8 years ago #
6. 

   emile
   Member

   This article from Clive Coates in February 2010 acknowledges 15% whole cluster in 2009. When visiting this Summer it was my understanding 2009 was the first vintage to do so.

   http://www.decanter.com/people-and-places/wine-articles/483748/clive-coates-on-gevrey-chambertin

   Posted 8 years ago #
7. 

   bill nanson
   admin

   emile said:
   This article from Clive Coates in February 2010 acknowledges 15% whole cluster in 2009. When visiting this Summer it was my understanding 2009 was the first vintage to do so.

   http://www.decanter.com/people-and-places/wine-articles/483748/clive-coates-on-gevrey-chambertin
   

   Great link Emile - I haven't seen this article before. The last quotes seem to fit my impression of a Bèze. To be honest if I was offered an unknown Bèze or Chambertin, I'd alwasy go for the Bèze, unless the label of the Chambertin was very pretty ;o)

   Posted 8 years ago #
8. 

   bill nanson
   admin

   JT said:
   Interesting. A 1998 Bouchard Chambertin I've had before showed similarly to the Rousseau, except without the breed and presence. But a 2001 Bèze chez Rousseau and several from Jadot were all bold and showy wines. Perhaps it's the vintage?

   Interesting JT. I have Chambertin (domaine) from Bouchard Père from both 98 & 99 - it used to be the same price as Rousseau then, today, and despite ~40% price increase since 99, it's now much cheaper than Rousseau's...

   Posted 8 years ago #
9. 

   emile
   Member

   The wholesale price of Rousseau has not changed in at least 3 vintages, i.e. 2005, 2006, 2007, in the U.S. So the retail price should not have changed either.

   If you consider Chambertin and Beze to be in the top handful of Cote de Nuits Grand Crus, and if you consider, like Coates, Rousseau to be the top producer from these terriors, then Rousseau Chambertin and Beze are relative bargins in the scheme of Grand Cru Burgundy. The prices are noticeably less than top producers in other Grand Crus. As an example, you could buy three bottles of either Chambertin or Beze from Rousseau for the same price of one bottle of DRC La Tache, and there is more La Tache produced than Rousseau Chambertin and Beze combined based size of vineyards.

   It will be interesting to taste what wholecluster in 2009 will do to Rousseau profile.

   Posted 8 years ago #
10. 

    Burgundy Al
    Member

    I've had the good fortune of tasting both Rousseau Chambertin and Beze side-by-side from the same vintage, and would generalize that Beze shows better for the first 8-12 years, after which Chambertin is better integrated and seemless. I've had both from 2001 several times over recent years. Right now I think the Beze is at its peak, while Chambertin still has enormous upside.

    Posted 8 years ago #
11. 

    Bert Bessems
    Member

    I had the Chambertin 1993 and 1995 on separate occasions during 2010.

    At first, in September, we had the Chambertin 1995. Full colour, very expressive and subtle with earth, spice and dark fruit, marvellous fruit, truly magnificent, beautiful tension with an enormous aftertaste, the wine keeps coming back with lots of complexity. Absolutely one of the highlights for me in 2010. I have another bottle of the 1995 and will keep this for another 3-4 years if I can withstand the desire.

    In October we had the 1993. The colour was even deeper, more black, no evolution, more closed on the nose also but very, very rich and full with earth and spices, very precise, powerful and ripe on the palate, not ready yet. definitely needs another 4-5 years but I had only 1 bottle.

    Posted 8 years ago #

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