2016 Clos de la Roche, Grand Cru, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Burgundy
Critics reviews
It is richer, deeper, and brighter in colour, with a firmer, more backward nose (compared to the Mazy-Chambertin). It has the same dark red cherry fruit profile but with a little extra intensity. Certainly, it has a memorable finish, tasted from a one-year-old barrel.
Jasper Morris MW, InsideBurgundy.com (October 2017)
This is from a 1.48 ha holding, 1 ha of which is in Les Fremières and the rest in Clos de la Roche proper; 20% new wood in 2015.
Reduction dominates the nose, but I doubt it will last as fruit nuances are 'visible'. The broad-shouldered flavours possess even better size, weight, and mid-palate concentration while offering fine power and drive in the sappy, complex, and balanced finale. I very much like the overall sense of harmony, though again, at least moderate patience is strongly advised.
Drink from 2031 onward
Allen Meadows, Burghound.com (January 2018)
When I tasted the 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from barrel, I wasn't convinced that it could match Rousseau's finest recent renditions of this cuvée such as the 2012, 2010 or 2005. From bottle, the wine has closed the gap, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of cherries, ripe red berries, raw cocoa, beetroot and sweet soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pretty core of fruit framed by fine-grained tannins and lively acids. This is a delicate, sapid Clos de la Roche that will drink well with a decade of bottle age.
Drink 2026 - 2045
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2020)
20% new oak.
Rich and denser than most Rousseau wines. Morey drive. Edge of tannin and acidity. Really quite marked (even though we are not tasting from a new cask). Firm. It definitely needs to be aged—lots to chew on, with the haunting bouquet emerging only at the very end at the moment.
Drink 2026 - 2040
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (January 2018)
25% new oak
Bright, dark red. Very ripe, musky nose combines purple fruits, mocha, brown spices and game, along with some subtle earth notes. The sweetest of these 2016s to this point but also fine-grained and elegant, with its intense fruit and soil flavors nicely framed by lively acidity. Very rich, dense and alive. Offers a classic Clos de la Roche combination of fruits, spices and soil character.
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com (January 2018)
About this WINE
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.
Morey-Saint-Denis
Morey is sometimes ignored between its two famous neighbours, Chambolle-Musigny and Gevrey-Chambertin, but its wines are of equal class, combining elegance and structure. Morey-St Denis, being that little bit less famous, can often provide excellent value.
The four main Grand Cru vineyards continue in a line from those of Gevrey-Chambertin, with Clos St Denis and Clos de la Roche the most widely available. Clos des Lambrays (almost) and Clos de Tart (entirely) are monopolies of the domains which bear the same names.
Domaine Dujac and Domaine Ponsot also make rare white wines in Morey-St Denis.
- 64 hectares of village Morey-St Denis
- 33 hectares of Premier Cru vineyards (20 in all). Best vineyards include Les Charmes, Les Millandes, Clos de la Bussière, Les Monts Luisants
- 40 hectares of Grand Cru vineyard. Clos de Tart, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de la Roche, Clos St Denis and a tiny part of Bonnes Mares
- Recommended Producers: Dujac, Ponsot, Clos de Tart, Domaine des Lambrays
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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Description
When I tasted the 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from barrel, I wasn't convinced that it could match Rousseau's finest recent renditions of this cuvée such as the 2012, 2010 or 2005. From bottle, the wine has closed the gap, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of cherries, ripe red berries, raw cocoa, beetroot and sweet soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pretty core of fruit framed by fine-grained tannins and lively acids. This is a delicate, sapid Clos de la Roche that will drink well with a decade of bottle age.
Drink 2026 - 2045
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (January 2020)
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