Rousseau Chambertin v Rousseau Clos de Beze vertical battle - WHO WILL REIGN SUPREME!?

Dinner was some time in the making as we awaited vaccinations and Los Angeles re-opening outdoor dining. The day finally came where everyone got vaccinated and LA allowed outdoor dining, so we celebrated at the rooftop Tasting Table at the Jonathan Club.

Beautiful venue overlooking the downtown Los Angeles skyline, just a singular large circular table with a delicious tasting menu prepared by Chef Andreas Roller. We complimented the cuisine with a showdown for the ages between Rousseau Chambertin and Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze.

Hard to nitpick these wines as they were all great in their own way, but to me the 93 Beze, 99 Chambertin, and 02 Chambertin were the stars of the show. But I think given another decade, the Beze might have gone in for the full sweep.

Wines were all double decanted for sediment at home except for the 93 Chambertin which was decanted at the restaurant. Could explain why it took awhile to get going while the other wines were shining from the get go.

• 1993 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  holy perfume on the nose - fruit is crazy on it with a high toned floral perfume. The texture is going wild on the palate - the minerality is bouncy and fresh - but the fruit seems a touch hollow. The nose took awhile to come around as it was a bit musty and funky but the palate never quite turned around. Not the best bottle we’ve had of it. Unfortunate as this bottle was purchased on release by the person that brought it.

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• 1993 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  wowwwww this plate is enormous - there’s a precision but power along the middle that focuses the wine and blasts through like a rocket. The deft balance of fruit, spice and sweetness. Incredible wine. Probably WOTN to me. Also purchased on release.

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• 1999 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  warm vanilla and spice, rhubarb, cherry tart on the nose. High acid- more square and needs some time initially but by the end of the night there’s intense cherry on the palate - sappy deep red fruit that lingers for a long while that comes from a balanced elegance on the mid palate. Really fine detailed wine, my second wotn

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• 1999 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  airy dark cherry and baked spice with some vanilla - the fruit is pure with grainy tannin. There’s a warmness and beauty to the dark black fruit that brings a gorgeous inner perfume on the palate. Isn't as detailed and precise as the Chambertin is, but seems just a few years back in development but will get to the same point soon.

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• 2002 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  love the subtle elegance of the plush weighty dark red fruit. There’s a spicy kick on the tannin. But boy, does it show so much depth in its primary profile. It's not a youthful primary note, but one that's assertive while being balanced. Delicious wine, 3rd of the night for me.

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• 2002 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  damn that’s a big boy. Crazy opulent fruit. There’s some oak on the back end tho that’s tough. A little gritty edge. Piercing glycerin and super ripe fruit. This is fully youthful juicy primary that I expected 2002s to be in. Like the 99 Beze, the beze seems to be showing more primary and less developed.

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• 2008 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  Really odd bottle of 08 Chambertin. I've had this a few times thanks to steve and they've all been glorious bottles of wine. But this one had a weird green note on the nose. The palate also kept switching back between forward dark sweet fruit and then heavy doses of brett. Can't say I've ever had this issue on a youngish Rousseau before. All the same lot from the prior ones opened, so a single negative standout is weird.

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• 2008 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  There's something about youngish Rousseau Clos de Beze - while Chambertin seems to lean more into opulence and weighty ripe fruit, the beze seems to lead into structured complexity. The 08 beze gives you a TON of spicy pepper on the nose and the palate has this broad structured tannin frame with swirling sweet clean red fruit roaming effortlessly within that frame.

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• 2013 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin Grand Cru

  2013 is a semi maligned vintage in Burgundy, but on the top end for both white and red Burgundy I feel like they've really shined. I can't remember the last 2013 from one of the top producers that I wasn't absolutely floored by the material in the wine. Had the 2013 Rousseau Clos de Beze a few months ago and it was a really incredible wine in that spicy structured manner.
  
  The 2013 Chambertin we had today was full on wild sweet red berry fruit on a broad meaty profile. You get some smoked game, sweet earthy and pops of sweet berry that run deep into the finish. Also the acidity plays a huge role in the undercurrent of the wine as it keeps all that wildness in check and focused. Really damn good wine. I think everyone at the table was pretty surprised how fantastic it was.

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