1998 Chambertin, Grand Cru, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Burgundy

1998 Chambertin, Grand Cru, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Burgundy

Product: 19981057005
Prices start from £10,807.00 per magnum (150cl). Buying options
1998 Chambertin, Grand Cru, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Burgundy

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Magnum (150cl)
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Description

The 1998 Chambertin Grand Cru has a leafier bouquet than the 1996 compared, alongside undergrowth and cracked black pepper, hints of peppermint, and even a touch of liquorice. It does not quite have the breeding of the aforementioned 1996. The palate is smooth on the entry and fleshy with moderate depth. Mellow, cohesive, lightly spiced, surprising richness on the finish yet without the pedigree of the finest vintages. Tasted at the Rousseau Chambertin vertical at La Vienne.

Drink 2022 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (June 2022)

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Critics reviews

Jasper Morris MW95/100

A solid dense and youthful colour. The nose has a slightly burned edge. There is a rich ripe concentration, a lot of energy for a vintage decried by many and denounced loudly by some. Notes of blood orange, still good acidity, while fractionally rough tannins take the edge off perfection. If you take this ‘warts and all’ it is a lovely wine, still with the power to grow. I love the perfumed red berry fruit of the aftertaste. But note that this will never be the most graceful of vintages and the wine had not gained in finesse when revisited 60 minutes later.

Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (May 2022)

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Burghound93/100

It had been almost 10 years since I last tasted this and it has become an impressive wine particularly so because of the superb complexity. The nose has turned largely secondary in character with plenty of spice, earth, game and dried red berry fruit characters. There is fine density to the rich, muscular and quite powerful medium-bodied flavors that exude a fine bead of minerality on the beautifully long finish where the only nit is a touch of backend astringency. No, the balance isn't perfect but as I already mentioned, the sheer depth more than compensates for the slight tannic edge. For my taste, this has arrived at its full maturity though it should hold effortlessly for years to come.

Drink now

Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (October 2017)

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Neal Martin, Vinous93/100

The 1998 Chambertin Grand Cru has a leafier bouquet than the 1996 compared, alongside undergrowth and cracked black pepper, hints of peppermint, and even a touch of liquorice. It does not quite have the breeding of the aforementioned 1996. The palate is smooth on the entry and fleshy with moderate depth. Mellow, cohesive, lightly spiced, surprising richness on the finish yet without the pedigree of the finest vintages. Tasted at the Rousseau Chambertin vertical at La Vienne.

Drink 2022 - 2040

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (June 2022)

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Antonio Galloni, Vinous93/100

The 1998 Chambertin is one of the real surprises in this tasting. From a vintage that never got much of a look, Rousseau's Chambertin is a pure and total delight. It is not the most complex wine in the vertical, nor is it the most pedigreed, but it is absolutely exquisite, as all of its elements are in perfect balance. The plum, sweet tobacco, menthol and red cherry flavours, along with the wine's soft, open-knit personality, make the 1998 impossible to resist today. Readers looking for a vintage of the Rousseau Chambertin that is peaking will find much to admire in the 1998.

Drink 2017 - 2027

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (August 2017)

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Decanter100/100

Full, rich, backward nose. Still youthful. Full body. Very good grip. Still needs time (in 2008). Splendid intensity, vigour concentration and class. Very, very long. It's all here. A great wine.

Clive Coates MW, Decanter.com

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About this WINE

Domaine Armand Rousseau

Domaine Armand Rousseau

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.

The farming here is traditional, with green harvesting where necessary to control yields (which range between 30 and 40hl/ha). The vineyards are ploughed and the use of sprays minimal. In the winery, 90% of the fruit is de-stemmed – the 10% whole-bunch adding tannin and structure to the wines. Fermentation is in open-topped stainless steel vats, with regular pumping over and punch-downs, but temperatures kept below 31°C. The fruit is then pressed gently, settles and transferred to barrel where the wines gently mature.

While the wines are by far some of the most collectible, commanding high prices on the secondary market, the family makes great wines with the hope that they will be drunk, not traded – a hope that we share.

We are one of the distributors for Domaine Rousseau in the UK. We have limited stocks available that are not listed online. Please contact us at finewine@bbr.com or on 020 3301 2883 for more information.

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Gevrey-Chambertin

Gevrey-Chambertin

Gevrey-Chambertin is the largest wine-producing village in Burgundy’s Côte d'Or, with its vineyards spilling over into the next door commune of Brochon.

Located in the far north of the Côtes de Nuits above Morey-St Denis, classic Gevrey-Chambertin is typically deeper in colour, firmer in body and more tannic in structure than most red Burgundy. The best can develop into the richest, most complete and long-lived Pinot Noir in the world. This is largely thanks to the iron-rich clay soils, though much depends on whether the vineyard is located on either the steeper slopes (Evocelles, Clos St Jacques) or the flatter, richer soils (Clos Prieur, Combottes).

Whereas in the past there have been numerous underperformers in Gevrey-Chambertin exploiting the reputation of this famous village and its iconic Grands Crus, today there are many fine sources to choose from, and overall quality is higher than ever.

Gevrey-Chambertin’s greatest Grand Cru is named after the field of the monk Bertin (Champ de Bertin). In 1847, Gevrey appended the name of this illustrious vineyard, Chambertin, setting a trend for the other principle villages to follow. Le Chambertin may not be quite as sumptuous as Musigny or Richebourg, or as divinely elegant as La Tâche or Romanée-St Vivant, but it is matched only by the legendary Romanée-Conti for completeness and luscious intensity.

In all, Gevrey boasts an impressive nine Grands Crus, with the name of Chambertin retaining a regal omnipresence throughout its finest vineyard names. The other truly great Grand Cru is Chambertin-Clos de Bèze which has the right to sell its wines simply as ‘Chambertin’, and is the only wine allowed to put the Chambertin name before, rather than after, its own. Situated slightly further up the hill, the wines are fractionally less powerful yet full of sensual charm and finesse.

Quality-wise the next best are generally acknowledged to be Mazis-Chambertin and Latricières-Chambertin. The former is incredibly concentrated and very fine, but its structure is a little less firm than Le Chambertin. Latricières is less about power (although it can be explosively fruity) and more about an entrancing silkiness.

Situated slightly higher up the slope, Ruchottes-Chambertin is impressively rich, stylish and slightly angular. The tiny Griottes-Chambertin, which owes its name to the grill-pan shape of the vineyard rather than the wine’s griotte cherry aroma, is lower down the slope and boasts a velvety texture and rich fruit reminiscent of Chambertin itself. It is generally better than the lighter, although wonderfully fragrant Chapelle-Chambertin and Gevrey’s largest Grand Cru, the pure and seductive (if variable) Charmes-Chambertin.

Gevrey also has some outstanding Premier Crus on the south-east-facing slopes above the town. Les Cazetiers and especially Clos St Jacques produce some exceptional wines. Indeed Armand Rousseau, who pioneered domaine bottling here in the 1930s and is still one of the region’s very best producers, often sells his Clos St Jacques for more than several of his Grand Crus.

Drinking dates for these wines vary, but Grand Crus are generally best from at least 10 to 25 years, Premier Crus from eight to 20 years, and village wines from five to 12 years.

  • 315 hectares of village Gevrey Chambertin
  • 84 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (20 in all). The foremost vineyards include Clos St Jacques, Lavaux St Jacques, Combottes, Corbeaux, Cherbaudes, Cazetiers.
  • 55 hectares of Grand Cru vineyards: Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Latricières-Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin, Mazis-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Griottes-Chambertin..
  • Recommended producers:  Bachelet, Dugat, Esmonin, Mortet, Rossignol Trapet, Rousseau, Serafin, Bernstein
  • Recommended restaurants : Chez Guy (good wine list), Rôtisserie du Chambertin (and Bistro)

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Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.

Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey "sous-bois" nuances emerging.

The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir`s key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.

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