The aromas initially mix a little mineral and green – not so engaging. The palate is a world different; sweet, complex, fresh enough and like the Raveneaux, quite engaging. The nose very slowly improves, losing the strident edge and taking on a little sweetly smoky bacon-fat aromas.
Rousseau Armand
1997 Rousseau Armand Clos de la Roche
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…