Medium, medium-plus colour. From top to bottom this nose is impresses with quality dark red fruit, there is the faintest edge of something a bit looser – caramel and redcurrant – but overall this is super. In the mouth there is a silky density that drives rather too fast into the finish. Swirl it around over your tongue for longer and then the intensity builds, but with it comes some slightly bitter tannin. The finish holds much longer now but with a little of that bitterness. A bit of a monolith in the mid-palate, I’ll save some for tomorrow to see if it opens. Day two and the aromatics are more subdued though the palate is indeed a little more open. A good wine, even in the context of the vintage, but I’d still rather have the Ruchottes…
Rousseau Armand
Comments for this entry
1997 Rousseau Armand Chambertin
1997 Rousseau Armand Clos des Ruchottes
Medium ruby, just a little browner at the rim. The nose has fresh red berries as a top note but if you stop swirling, the glass gradually fills with a vanilla note. The palate is also quite fresh with very good acidity. The wine seems at first to be a little slight despite intense fruit but in the end I put this down to how the primary the fruit was showing – more like a 1996. The tannins are deftly hidden but very velvety. Very, very elegant and very tasty – also just a touch of vanilla on the finish. This excellent wine has gorgeous balance and should have a very long life.