A spicy, peppery nose is a result of the stem component here, where there is a significant touch of class to the fruit too. Quality really shows on the palate, which is a brilliantly hedonistic mix of red and black cherry fruit with exceptional persistence.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Director

Sylvie began picking on 28th September in 2010 and continued into October. Early in the season, once the flowering had produced so much millerandage – “Pinot Noir berries like little peas” – she felt it could have been a vintage of the century, though it would have taken better weather in August to deliver the early promise. As it is, the fine fruit and fresh finish to the wines reminds her more of 2002. The style of the domaine is for a high proportion of stems to be included, supported by new barrels.

With the 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques (which by its position in tastings here the Rousseaus conspicuously rate as grand cru) we arrive at the first wine that is matured in new wood. Pure, sweet, fresh black cherry fruit, marrowy and enveloping carnal richness, mysteriously enticing florality, low-toned, chalky minerality and accents of black tea and star anise are featured in this remarkably seamless wine. Meat, minerals and mystery dominate a finish that is profoundly layered yet preserves sheer palate-cleansing refreshment and positively vibrates with vividly fresh fruit intensity. Rousseau owns around one third of this great site, meaning that there are over a thousand cases of this phenomenal wine to ransack the marketplace in search of, then sock away for at least a decade and preferably two. It is always the last-harvested site, says Eric Rousseau, and in 2005 his roughly twenty veteran pickers could certainly afford to wait and richly rewarded us for it.
(David Schildknecht - Wine Advocate - Apr 07)