Imperial Treasure Shanghai, Ngee Ann City, Singapore
Tasted Monday, March 25, 2019 by Paul S with 200 views
This was one of the great wine dinners of the last few years for me. Gevrey-Chambertin, particularly the twin Grand Cru vineyards of Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Beze, was my first love in Burgundy - they were what first turned me on to red wines; and Armand Rousseau, by some distance, produces the greatest expressions of the terroir, vintage-in and vintage-out.
It was such a treat then that we each dug into our collections to bring out treasures from the decade before, so that we could do pairings of Chambertin and Beze for 2000, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (with a long 1995 to start with). This was a great opportunity to put a finger on Armand Rousseau's stylings over the 2000s, and also make a comparison between the neighbouring vineyards of Chambertin and Clos de Beze.
I am not sure I can say anything more about Rousseau that has not already been waxed lyrical about in other forums. The wines are Gevrey par excellence, and amongst the very best produced anywhere in Burgundy, and the world. Sleek, polished, balanced and integrated, yet never facile and overworked - these are wines of strength and intensity, yet also purity, balance and transparency, with wonderfully generous red fruit, sometimes florals, often seasoned with Gevrey stylings of mineral, meat and a bit of spice. If one asks me to describe Rousseau in a few words, I would say: delicious, pure, sensuous, elegant. Yet, this might give the impression of a modern softness and easiness, which could not be further from the truth - what makes these wines truly great are that beneath all that elegance, there is also always a real strength, depth and intensity. A seriousness that lifts them above the ordinary.
What about the two vineyards - Chambertin and Clos de Beze. Served semi-blind in pairs, it proved impossible to say which was better than the other chez Rousseau. In some vintages, the Chambertin clearly edged it, in others, the Beze. In yet other vintages, the vote was split between the two. There were stylistic differences that we picked up quite consistently though - the Chambertin wines were deeper, more brooding, more powerful, maybe more complete. The Beze, however, were the more charming, more seductive, maybe even more transparent, with spice and perfume emphasised over earth and mineral.
This tasting really underlined just how good of a producer Armand Rousseau is though - the wines, whether Chambertin or Beze, where uniformly brilliant, some breathtakingly so. I really enjoyed this dinner. Chips down, Rousseau is probably my favourite domaine of all in Burgundy. Unfortunately, with the prices the way they are today though, such a dinner would be hard to replicate with vintages one decade younger.
1989 Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Grand Cru D.T. Non Dosé Avize 94 Points
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Second time round with a magnum of this wine. I really enjoyed it. Disgorged in 2005, this has had a bit more time on the lees, and this showed in the wine. This felt rounder and rather more pleasing then the really tight, youthful bottle we had the last time round. The nose bloomed out the glass with lovely notes of apples and pears, some yeast, and just that touch of savoury oxidative notes, all underlined with a good bit of minerally aromas. Nice. The palate was nice and round as well, with warm, gently honeyed notes of apples, earth and spice. Really yummy, with a lovely long mineral tail as well. Very nice indeed, and showing beautifully.
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2016 Errazuriz Chardonnay Las Pizarras 90 Points
Chile, Aconcagua Valley
A decently good wine, but this somehow did not quite come across like a Chardonnay for some reason. The nose smelt liked an oaked Sauvignon Blanc to me, with ripe gooseberry, green limes and mineral - even with a bit of cat’s pee at the sides. I could have sworn this was an SB. The palate was fairly big though, with a round, buttery texture, and ripe red apple and sweet lemon notes, all this pierced by a spine of really bright, citrusy acidity and a good bit of minerality. There was a touch of spice and warmth at the end, and just that trace of oak, but otherwise a decent wine that will get better with time.
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