I don't usually open a bottle of this magnitude on a Thursday night. However, when my auction shipment arrived, the cork on this one was floating in the wine. Obviously, that meant the wine was a bit cloudy but the wine's red center and tawny rims said it was fully mature.
The high- intensity nose put forth currants, rhubarb, roses, tan spices, and minerals. In the mouth, this wine was relatively quiet at first and I wondered if it was DOA. However, as it aired it grew stronger and more dramatic. It was ripe and rich with light tannin, firm acidity, and very good length.
It appeared that the foil had protected this wine for some unknown number of hours after the cork fell in. It was a lovely wine that was moving down the back side of optimum condition, or, as Alan likes to say, the "acidity was creeping in".
This had top notch complexity and a lovely mouthfeel but was not quite up there with the best vintages. Enjoy!
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Ramonet 2015 Horizontal / Rousseau Older CSJ Vertical (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): In 01/95/89/83 vertical. Great aromas of fresh and dried black cherry with slowly cooked mushroom, leather, and braised meat. Similar flavors, but less fruit, more earth, so not quite as exciting, but charming nonetheless. Also purchased in 2013 from its original owner, so pristine provenance, but not quite as vibrant as the previous bottle from that purchase opened in 2018.
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Dark, earthy, sous bois, and nicely resolved. Completely tertiary with some soy, spice, and black tea notes. Fruit is starting to dry but holds up well through the night. In very good shape. About the thing wrong (my fault not the wine) is that it was drank next to an otherworldly 90.
Will have to make sure my next and last bottle is not drank next to the 90!
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Holding up exceptionally well, from a pristine bottle, the nose tells you right away you’re in for some fabulous wine though it took 30-60 minutes for the palate to come around in full swing. Very clean, pure, red fruit
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Dry red plum, some soil notes. Still tang on the finish. Finish beginning to dry slightly but good remaining energy. Great textural feel. Nice breadth. Perfect bottle of this wine.
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Coche and Rousseau Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago, IL): Impressively youthful. If served blind, you could never have guessed 35 years old. The nose has insane depth with gorgeous mature, but still sweet fruit, along with earth, smoked meat and spice. The fruit on the palate is succulent and sweet, belying it's age. Delicious, long, savory finish.
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Coche-Dury and Domaine Rousseau Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Open 30 minutes before serving. Black fruit with so much power and depth that it seemed much younger being 30+ yo. Great spice and roasted meat. If served blind, I'd certainly have thought younger and Grand Cru. I had purchased this bottle 5 years ago from its original owner, and I know this had been perfectly stored since release.
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Coche, Rousseau and more (RPM Steak): From a nearly perfect and pristine bottle in mint condition both inside and out. This was the surprise of the night. Dark sweet succulent fruits and richly spiced. Truly awesome. Much much younger than the vintage would indicate and no sense of '83 funk. AF said "F#cking Great Wine" Pretty much summed it up. Wow!
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Rousseau 2009 Horizontal Tasting: Leather, earth and cinnamon. Medium length, but fading and not necessarily evocative of old burgundy but the flavour is quite appealing for now with its earthy savouriness. Probably not a pristine bottle.
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First Dinner in Burgundy (Bistro de l'Hotel - Beaune): From magnum, this was also sent over by the very generous next table. Sensational aromatic start with cooked porcini, leather and evolved black cherry aromas. More earth flavors than fruit, this wine is at a great place today and went perfectly with egg served with fresh summer truffles. This magnum probably hadn't moved from bottling until tonight, since Eric Rousseau was at that generous table and there was no label on this bottle.
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1983 Rousseau Clos de Bèze and Clos St. Jacques side by side over dinner. Opened one hour before dinner, but not decanted.
Both wines showed signature Rousseau bouquet of perfumed potpourri jumping out of the glass (not VA), wonderfully expressive and beguiling. On the nose the Clos de Bèze was “darker”, the Clos St. Jacques brighter with pronounced mineral notes. Similar profile on the palate, the Clos de Bèze offering dark red fruit with plenty of old Burgundy secondary flavors of sous bois; the dusty tannins and dry extract providing a nice base for the flavors. The Clos St. Jacques offered a noticeably brighter profile of red fruit with mineral flavors mixed in with the sous bois; showing a somewhat lighter and fresher style. A very interesting comparison, both the Rousseau style and vineyard terroir signatures were readily apparent, each wine as they should be.
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Light red in color with brownish rim, very plesant nose with sweet red cherries and a bit of strawberries, very pure fruited. Light to medium body that is more pleasant than complex. Very good given the vintage.
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3/2/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote: 95 Points
La Paulée de Los Angeles Gala Dinner (The Fairmont - Santa Monica CA): Small glass, tasted blind. Ripe, dense, and powerful, I thought 1989 that has aged into great elegance, but 1983 makes this even more impressive.
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10/28/2021 - fclarity wrote: 94 Points
I don't usually open a bottle of this magnitude on a Thursday night. However, when my auction shipment arrived, the cork on this one was floating in the wine. Obviously, that meant the wine was a bit cloudy but the wine's red center and tawny rims said it was fully mature.
The high- intensity nose put forth currants, rhubarb, roses, tan spices, and minerals. In the mouth, this wine was relatively quiet at first and I wondered if it was DOA. However, as it aired it grew stronger and more dramatic. It was ripe and rich with light tannin, firm acidity, and very good length.
It appeared that the foil had protected this wine for some unknown number of hours after the cork fell in. It was a lovely wine that was moving down the back side of optimum condition, or, as Alan likes to say, the "acidity was creeping in".
This had top notch complexity and a lovely mouthfeel but was not quite up there with the best vintages. Enjoy!
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8/27/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Ramonet 2015 Horizontal / Rousseau Older CSJ Vertical (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): In 01/95/89/83 vertical. Great aromas of fresh and dried black cherry with slowly cooked mushroom, leather, and braised meat. Similar flavors, but less fruit, more earth, so not quite as exciting, but charming nonetheless. Also purchased in 2013 from its original owner, so pristine provenance, but not quite as vibrant as the previous bottle from that purchase opened in 2018.
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8/27/2021 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Friday Night Ramonet & Rousseau (RPM Steak - Chicago, IL): Gorgeous mature old burg nose with dried black cherry, mushroom, spice and gamy meat intense. Tasty and complex on the palate though not as vibrant as the nose.
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2/10/2020 - FYC wrote:
Dark, earthy, sous bois, and nicely resolved. Completely tertiary with some soy, spice, and black tea notes. Fruit is starting to dry but holds up well through the night. In very good shape. About the thing wrong (my fault not the wine) is that it was drank next to an otherworldly 90.
Will have to make sure my next and last bottle is not drank next to the 90!
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11/19/2019 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
Holding up exceptionally well, from a pristine bottle, the nose tells you right away you’re in for some fabulous wine though it took 30-60 minutes for the palate to come around in full swing. Very clean, pure, red fruit
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7/20/2019 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dry red plum, some soil notes. Still tang on the finish. Finish beginning to dry slightly but good remaining energy. Great textural feel. Nice breadth. Perfect bottle of this wine.
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4/13/2018 - Nanda wrote: 98 Points
Coche and Rousseau Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago, IL): Impressively youthful. If served blind, you could never have guessed 35 years old. The nose has insane depth with gorgeous mature, but still sweet fruit, along with earth, smoked meat and spice. The fruit on the palate is succulent and sweet, belying it's age. Delicious, long, savory finish.
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4/13/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Coche-Dury and Domaine Rousseau Dinner (RPM Steak - Chicago IL): Open 30 minutes before serving. Black fruit with so much power and depth that it seemed much younger being 30+ yo. Great spice and roasted meat. If served blind, I'd certainly have thought younger and Grand Cru. I had purchased this bottle 5 years ago from its original owner, and I know this had been perfectly stored since release.
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4/13/2018 - KenK Likes this wine: 96 Points
Coche, Rousseau and more (RPM Steak): From a nearly perfect and pristine bottle in mint condition both inside and out. This was the surprise of the night. Dark sweet succulent fruits and richly spiced. Truly awesome. Much much younger than the vintage would indicate and no sense of '83 funk. AF said "F#cking Great Wine" Pretty much summed it up. Wow!
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5/5/2017 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Good not great. Fading.
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12/27/2016 - Benji La Malice Likes this wine: 96 Points
un sommet de Gevrey!
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9/21/2013 - CamWheeler wrote: 88 Points
Rousseau 2009 Horizontal Tasting: Leather, earth and cinnamon. Medium length, but fading and not necessarily evocative of old burgundy but the flavour is quite appealing for now with its earthy savouriness. Probably not a pristine bottle.
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6/27/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
First Dinner in Burgundy (Bistro de l'Hotel - Beaune): From magnum, this was also sent over by the very generous next table. Sensational aromatic start with cooked porcini, leather and evolved black cherry aromas. More earth flavors than fruit, this wine is at a great place today and went perfectly with egg served with fresh summer truffles. This magnum probably hadn't moved from bottling until tonight, since Eric Rousseau was at that generous table and there was no label on this bottle.
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5/5/2013 - Beaune Yard wrote: 94 Points
1983 Rousseau Clos de Bèze and Clos St. Jacques side by side over dinner. Opened one hour before dinner, but not decanted.
Both wines showed signature Rousseau bouquet of perfumed potpourri jumping out of the glass (not VA), wonderfully expressive and beguiling. On the nose the Clos de Bèze was “darker”, the Clos St. Jacques brighter with pronounced mineral notes. Similar profile on the palate, the Clos de Bèze offering dark red fruit with plenty of old Burgundy secondary flavors of sous bois; the dusty tannins and dry extract providing a nice base for the flavors. The Clos St. Jacques offered a noticeably brighter profile of red fruit with mineral flavors mixed in with the sous bois; showing a somewhat lighter and fresher style. A very interesting comparison, both the Rousseau style and vineyard terroir signatures were readily apparent, each wine as they should be.
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4/5/2013 - Pacalet wrote: 91 Points
Light red in color with brownish rim, very plesant nose with sweet red cherries and a bit of strawberries, very pure fruited. Light to medium body that is more pleasant than complex. Very good given the vintage.
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11/7/2011 - uberoh wrote: 96 Points
Blown away by the complexity on the nose - great balance - good fruit - loved the wine. Did not decant but lasted for hours.
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5/22/2003 - AJ72 wrote: 94 Points
This was a fantastic wine. Wonderful perfume, very complex and typical. Great texture and weight drinking beautifully now. A classic Burgundy.
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