1990 Clos de la Roche

At the top level, Rousseau consistently produces three profound wines - Gevrey-Chambertin-Clos St.-Jacques (as good as most producer's grands crus), Chambertin-Clos de Beze, and Chambertin. That being said, I remain perplexed as to why Rousseau's other wines are so surprisingly light and fluid. While good, sometimes very good, they are markedly inferior to his top three wines. Never one to jump on the bandwagon for forward, super-ripe vintages, (Rousseau still believes 1983 is the finest vintage of the eighties), he is unpersuaded by the acclaim bestowed on 1990. I was surprised by the lightness of the Clos de la Roche. The color is light ruby, and the nose is elegant, with a flowery, cherry fruitiness and a touch of earth in the background. In the mouth, this attractive wine is round, simple, and fruity. It should be consumed over the next 6-7 years. Rousseau reminded me that it had been bottled only one month when I tasted it, which, he claims, may have caused it to taste lighter. I might add that Rousseau does do a moderately intense filtration at bottling. Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY. Wine Advocate.October, 1992