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Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze event
Capella Hotel Georgetown
Tasted September 11, 2015 - September 12, 2015 by dcwino with 1,031 views
Introduction
I was the successful bidder on a couple of Rousseau CcB lots. I planned a cost share event with the usual suspects. Kelly W flew in just for the event. We drank seven vintages on Friday dinner and the remaining eight on Saturday lunch. The Capella hotel did an incredible job hosting us once again. Due to a family matter, I missed a couple of hours on both events which resulted in tasting at least half of the wines with an hour of air. I really prefer to get the first nose after pop and pour as the fruit is more expressive and generous, IMO.
All the CdB showed classic Rousseau signature of beautiful balance and purity as well as delicate yet decadent sweet fruits. They also nicely expressed the earthy character of Gevrey. I was hoping for at least a few out of body experiences especially from the 90, 91, 93 or 99 but not so. They were however consistently good. As François Mauss advised me a few times, buy big wines in small vintages. The 92 and 94 were showing incredibly well. I also thought that the 09 and the 10 were superior to the earlier vintages, much cleaner with more generous fruits. We typically had strong consensus amongst group but not so this time. The opinions varied significantly in a number of wines including the 90, 99, 02, 09 and 11 as well as the champagnes.
As usual, as much as we were so privileged to partake in this once in a life time event, sharing the moment with good friends made the event truly special and enjoyable.
Flight 1 - Dinner - Champagne (4 notes)
I thought the 96 Krug showed beautifully but served a bit too warm. The MV Savoir Faire seemed more mature than the regular MV. I thought both the 90 and the 96 Dom were slightly off.
White - Sparkling
1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut
96 points
Served a bit too warm, very vinous nose, apple, apricot, beautifully perfumed, sweet spices, mineral, a hint of brioche, honey and flowers. This particular bottle resembles a mature GC burgundy like Batard or CC. Excellent concentration, decadent yellow fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of mineral, beautifully layered and beautiful long finish. Kelly thinks it is not the freshest example. For me, it is exceptional.
White - Sparkling
1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
flawed
For my palate, slightly muted, perhaps a slight hint of TCA. Very fresh though.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Krug Champagne Grande Cuvée "Savoir-Faire"
94 points
I remember this and other special MV cuvees selling for around $400 at the Sotheby’s Krug auction a few years ago. This is definitely more mature than the regular MV. I slightly prefer the 30+ year old MVs which this resembles close. Ripe yellow fruit driven nose, apple pie, apple, a hint of brioche, creme brulee, ginger and honey. Very good concentration, fine but shy moose, ripe yellow fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and decadently sweet finish. Very nice wine but not necessarily better than the regular MV.
White - Sparkling
1990 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon
flawed
This seems a bit more advance than my recent bottles. Lemond curt, candied orange, tarte tatin and burnt sugar. Good concentration, shy mousse, burnt sugar driven palate impression and medium finish. For my palate, not a good example of the great 90 Dom. My score would be around 90 pts.
Flight 2 - Dinner - White Burgundy (2 notes)
The Montrachet was incredible.
White
2005 Etienne Sauzet Chevalier-Montrachet
94 points
Ripe yellow fruits, sesame, honey, mineral, honeysuckle and mineral. Excellent concentration, lemon oil and ripe yellow fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of mineral, medium acidity and long dense finish. This is a big ripe style of Chevalier, perhaps very Sauzet but more Batard?
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White
2008 Bouchard Père et Fils Montrachet Domaine
98 points
Perfectly precise noble nose that you only get from Montrachet and Chevalier Montrachet. Subtle but energetic nose displaying pure yellow fruits, lemon, perfectly ripe pear, lemon curd, limestone, a hint of honey, white flowers and flint. Very pure and precise palate, pure yellow fruit driven palate impression, incredible amount of mineral, perfect amount of acidity and seamless long clean finish. A great example of GC Burgundy, so pure, so precise, so noble and so precisely balanced. Truly profound and incredible enjoyable. My rating may be a point or two too low.
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Flight 3 - Dinner - Rousseu Chambertin Clos de Beze (3 notes)
All three showed well. The 94 was a pleasant surprise.
Red
1994 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
94 points
Pale color. Delicate yet hedonistic nose of perfectly mature Burgundy, delicate light red fruits, strawberry water, perfect amount of sous bois, a slight hint of brandy, light caramel and sweet spices. Very delicate, light red fruit driven palate impression, warm and round, just right amount of acidity, no noticeable tannins and lovely sweet finish. Certainly the lightest Rousseau of the night. Light yet incredibly delicious. It is neither concentrated nor terribly complex but I would love to drink this all night.
Red
1995 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
96 points
Perfectly mature subtle but energetic nose displaying delicate sweet red fruits, strawberry, raspberry jelly, Asian spice, cedar, raw button mushroom, caramel, a hint of sous bois, flowers, perfume and earth. I is hard to describe the level of concentration as all the components have come together beautifully. Beautifully layered fruits, round and silky, beautiful expression of mineral, good acidity, a slight hint of dry tannins that is typical of the 95 reds and seamless long vibrant finish. Beautiful balance and vibrant energy. A great example of beautiful mature GC burgundy.
Red
1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
96 points
Pure energetic red and black fruits, perfectly ripe crushed blackberries, raspberry jelly, cedar, dark spices, mushroom, strong presence of mineral and mushroom. All the components are in perfect harmony, youthful slightly dry red fruit driven palate impression, very precise, energetic and beautifully detailed, bright acidity, nicely integrated tannins and long energetic finish. This and the 95 seem to clearly express the vintage characters. This is very youthful wine with the structure to last.
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Flight 4 - Dinner - Rousseu Chambertin Clos de Beze (4 notes)
Most thought the 02 was a major disappointment. The 11 was closely resembling the 04, ie the 04 taint was obvious.
Red
2007 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
93 points
Decadent ripe red and black fruits, dark spices, caramel and strong earth note. Very good concentration, dense ripe black fruit driven palate impression, mineral and earth, a hint of dry tannins and medium long finish which is typical for most top 07 reds. This will require another five to ten years of cellaring.
Red
2008 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
95 points
Perhaps the purest wine of the night. Delicate red fruit, raspberry and raspberry jelly, strong floral note, sweet spices, mushroom and a hint of stem/coarse tannins. Deceptively light palate, very pretty and pure, very vibrant and energetic, bright acidity, strong backbone and lovely long finish that ends with a remnant of lovely red fruits. This will require a couple decades of cellaring. If you are a hardcore burgundy traditionalist, you will love this wine.
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Red
2011 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
92 points
Oh no! Bill Nanson informed us unusually high concentration of lady bugs. So it really comes down to relative sensitive to the 04 like taint. I also posted my concerns regarding the 11. We both got grilled. This clearly shows the 04 like taint. It is not just unripe green. The first note is the 04 taint aka LBT then crushed blackberries, mineral and very earthy notes. Very good concentration, quite fresh, strong mineral presence, a hint of ash and metal that I associate with the 04 taint, good acidity and medium long finish. I recent drank the 04 version which I enjoyed despite a hint of taint. Caveat Emptor and YMMV.
Red
2002 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
94 points
Youthful sweet black fruits, blackberry and black cherry, a hint of soy, cedar/oak, roasted fruits and earthy. Excellent concentration, ripe blackberry driven palate impression, quite chewy, nicely integrated tannins and medium finish. A few tasters mentioned very short clipping finish. I re-tasted a few times but didn’t find it short.
Flight 5 - Dinner - Madiera (3 notes)
White - Fortified
1958 Cossart Gordon & Co. Madeira Bual
92 points
A hint of brown. The nose is a bit simple compare to the 19 century ones. Dry fig, raisin, grape, baking spices and molasses. Medium sweet palate, bright acidity and medium finish for a Madeira. Not the most complex Madeira but still quite enjoyable. Will complement blue cheese or dry fruits well.
White - Fortified
1875 Barbeito Madeira Malvazia
97 points
Incredibly intense nose of dry apricot, apricot marmalade, dry orange peel, VA via nail polish that adds nice complexity, a hint of petrol, tobacco and spicy spices. Even after almost 150 years, still displaying formidable concentration and incredible scale, still quite sweet, opulent fruits, mouth puckering acidities, a hint of sherry and unbelievably long finish. There is no double that this will last another hundred years. Truly a mindboggling wine.
White - Fortified
1845 Cossart Gordon & Co. Madeira Bual Solera Centenary
93 points
This has been decanted for a week. It is rather gentle, kinder and gentler kind of Madeira. Dry figs, roasted nuts and caramel. Good balance, warm and round, very controlled acidity and medium finish for a Madeira which means pretty decent length. Pretty enjoyable but overshadowed by the 1875 Barbeito.
Flight 6 - Lunch - Champagne (3 notes)
Both were exceptional!
Rosé - Sparkling
2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne Rosé
96 points
Incredibly youthful nose displaying strawberry, raspberry, fresh crack pepper, cooper and smoke. Excellent concentration, sappy strawberry fruit palate impression, bright acidity, mineral, bright acidity and long clean finish. Needs at least ten more years to reach the peak. I wonder if this will develop like the 85.
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White - Sparkling
1996 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut
97 points
Another that seem sto reach the first stage of the peak. Energetic nose displaying decadent yellow fruits, lemon curd, anise, mineral, sweet spices and honey. Excellent concentration, generous fine mousse, decadent yellow fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of mineral, bright acidity and incredibly long sweet yellow fruit driven finish. Excellent showing once again.
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White
N.V. Moët & Chandon Coteaux Champenois Saran (Nature) Blanc de Blancs
93 points
From the same batch as the last, at least 30+ years old if not 40. Lovely golden color not unlike a 40 year old burgundy. It reminds me Stoney Hill Chardonnay once again. Cool weather Chardonnay, a bit of Chenin like waxiness, burnt sugar, steel, mineral and smoked tea. Excellent concentration, burnt yellow fruit driven palate impression, piercing acidity and long finish. The acidity will carry this wine many more years but doubt it will get any better. It is also like a mature BdB.
Flight 7 - Lunch - White (6 notes)
Girardin makes excellent CC. The Reveneau was exceptional as usual.
White
2005 Domaine Bernard Morey et Fils Bâtard-Montrachet
92 points
Very ripe fruits, lemon peel, lemon oil, pineapple, crème brulee and a hint of heat. Very good concentration, ripe dense and oily yellow fruit driven palate impression, no noticeable acidity and relatively short finish due to heat. IMO, the 05 is a great red burg vintage but only so so for the whites.
White
2009 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Corton-Charlemagne Quintessence
97 points
I am starting to believe that Vincent Girardin makes a great Corton-Charlemagne. Incredibly fresh and mineral nose displaying succulent yellow and white fruits, citrus, fresh apple, strong presence of mineral and sesame. Excellent concentration, clean and cool citrus fruit driven palate impression, strong presence of mineral, bright acidity and lovely long clean mineral driven finish. A great example of CC, beautiful interplay of fresh cool fruits, exceptional mineral expression and bright acidity. Perhaps one of the best white Burgundy value out there.
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White
1992 Maison Leroy Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières
93 points
Very youthful color. The nose of beautifully mature white Burgundy, a bit of lanoline, grapefruit, lemon oil, almond paste and honey. Very good concentration, cool citrus fruit driven palate impression and medium finish. Very enjoyable.
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White
2008 François Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru Valmur
97 points
Another incredible showing. Fresh cool white fruits, cold mountain stream, saline and strong presence of mineral. Excellent concentration, very precise and refined, strong mineral presence, bright acidity and lovely long mineral driven clean finish. So cool, succulent and delicious. Showing the great 08 precision. Highly recommend.
White
2009 Didier Dagueneau Silex
94 points
The nose initially is dominated by cat pee. With air, only a hint of grass, kiwi, star fruit, grapefruit, flowers, honey and mineral. Excellent concentration, ripe yet succulent yellow citrus and kiwi driven palate impression, good mineral presence, bright acidity and lovely long finish. This is quite succulent and precise. Really enjoyable.
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White
1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia
93 points
It reminds me a well cellared Grave blanc without the grassy SB note. Bright golden yellow color. Ripe yellow fruits, lanoline, a hint of petrol, a hint of orange peel, toffee and sweet spices. All components have come together beautifully, quite viscous, a hint of petrol and mineral, ripe slightly dry yellow fruits and nice deeply toned nutty finish that resonates. I feel that the complexity comes from the initial wine making process and botte cellaring. However I don’t find the fruit complexity that I get in a GC Burgundy or the top grave Blanc. It would complement a nutty cheese like Comte very well.
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Flight 8 - Lunch - Rousseu Chambertin Clos de Beze (4 notes)
Red
1989 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
96 points
Subtle nose displaying slightly dry red fruits, dry cherry, raspberry jelly, beautiful floral note, baking spices, a hint of cedar, licorice, mushroom and earth. Fully mature, very precise and linear, sweet dry red fruit driven palate impression, a hint of dry tannins and lovely long sweet finish that ends with asian spice. Beautiful showing.
Red
1990 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
93 points
Medium nose displaying shy ripe red fruits, a hint of cherry and raspberry, menthol, cinnamon, sous bois, coffee, soy, mushroom and earth. There is a slight hint of oxidative note at the end which is not bothersome. Medium body, sweet roasted red fruits, a hint of rust and medium finish that ends with a hint of oxidative note. Some questions provenance and think over the hill. For my palate, it is showing the strong vintage characters, ie very ripe and not terribly precise. When we visited the domaine a few years back Mr. Charles Rousseau mentioned that he prefers the 91 to the 90. Paul N mentioned that this showed incredibly well en Magnum. Considering the price, not sure there is a need to really chase. I still enjoyed it.
Red
1991 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
97 points
Beguiling sweet ripe red and yellow fruits, raspberry essence, yellow cherry, light caramel, a hint of sous bois, cinnamon, tree bark, cappuccino, sesame and mushroom. Beautiful harmonious overall palate impression, quite silky and sensual, decadent yet delicate raspberry jelly driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity, fully integrated tannins and very long seamless finish. This is a class Rousseau, neither big nor impressive but energetic, seamless and decadent. Great showing.
Red
1992 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
95 points
What a pleasant surprise! Quite delicate, almost watery yet perfectly expressive nose displaying delicate and sweet red fruits, sous bois, a hint of cedar and light caramel. Delicate yet vibrant palate impression, incredibly sweet airy red fruit driven palate impression, perfectly integrated tannins and shy yet incredibly long sweet finish. This is a very special wine displaying perfect balance and incredible energy.
Flight 9 - Lunch - Rousseu Chambertin Clos de Beze (4 notes)
Red
1993 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
97 points
Elegant but expressive nose displaying pure red fruits, a hint of cherry and raspberry, beautifully perfumed, cedar, mint, sweet spices and earth. Very precise and energetic palate, silky, subtle slightly dry red fruits, nicely integrated tannins and seamless long finish. Just like the 91, seamless, vibrant and exceptional balance.
Red
1999 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
96 points
Showing more of the vintage than the producer signature. Incredibly youthful and hedonistic nose displaying ripe black fruits, blackberry, black cherry, coffee, liquid smoke, worcestershire and a hint of cedar. Exceptional concentration, dense blackberry fruit driven palate impression, good amount of acidity, sweet tannins and long finish. Really impressive and promising wine. Others liked it less than me. Need at least another ten years of cellaring.
Red
2009 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
98 points
This bottle is showing classic ripe style of the 09. Decadent nose displaying ripe dark fruits, blackberry jam, sweet spices, espresso, incense and a hint of licorice. Incredible concentration, silky and round, decadent jammy black fruit driven palate impression, perfect amount of acidity and lovely long finish. At the moment, it is not as enjoyable as the 10 which is perfect but what an incredible wine. I get often criticize of committing infanticide but the 09 and the 10 were the most enjoyable wines in this event.
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Red
2010 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
99 points
Incredibly expressive nose displaying intense black fruits, blackberry, blackberry essence, exotic spices, incense and earth. Incredibly concentration yet almost airy, silky and caressing, just perfect amount of acidity and incredibly long finish. The texture reminds me the middle stage of making mixed berry jam just after sugar gets thicken a bit, incredible decadent yet the fruit is still fresh and pure, quite dense yet so silky. This wine has it all, pure, exotic, balanced and sensual. It perhaps was the groups favorite.
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Flight 10 - Lunch - Palate cleansing Champagne (1 note)
White - Sparkling
1996 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut
97 points
Deeply toned nose displaying apple tart, honey, brioche, smoke and mineral. Excellent concentration, decadent deeply toned apple tart fruit driven palate impression, good acidity and lovely long sweet finish. This is a bass kinda of champagne, ie the overall impression is more like Krug than Salon. Really enjoyable now but will improve. I am loving the 96 Champagnes at the moment.
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Closing
It was two incredible days of great wines. A great time was had by all!