2011 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
The 2011 Chambertin Grand Cru is consistent with the previous bottle that I tasted blind in 2014, although I find no reduction now. I maintain that it is a little more feral than other recent vintages with black plum, leather and sous-bois , displaying more amplitude than before. The palate is well balanced but backward, very well structured for a 2011 with tertiary notes mixed with tobacco surfacing towards the finish, that gently keeps rollin' and rollin' across the senses. Marvellous, but give it another couple of years. Tasted at Bistro de l'Hôtel in Beaune.
Critic scores
Allen Meadows, Burghound
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
Rousseau's 2011 Chambertin is quite a bit deeper and more powerful than the Bèze in this vintage. Here the flavors are dark, intense and boldly sketched. Black cherry, plum, spices, new leather and pine flesh out in a striking, succulent Chambertin that is surprisingly unevolved. The 2011 has enough verticality and overall structure to drink well for several decades, but readers will have to be patient.
Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune, you have to get past a little reduction on the nose of Rousseau’s Chambertin 2011 that is animally and feral, developing a strong estuarine influence - mudflats, kelp and sea salt. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, slightly chalky tannins and fine precision. Grippy in the mouth and more masculine with a precise, mineral finish. This is very fine but it needs 3-4 years to show its true nature.
Bright, deep red, darker than the 2012 today. Wild, soil-driven aromas of blueberry, violet, black pepper, leather and game. Lush, velvety and compellingly sweet, with a magically fine-grained texture and outstanding concentration to the dark berry, violet and earth flavors. This is fat with fruit, and the noble tannins allow the back end to open and expand. Compared to the 2012 version, this may show a bit less inner-mouth tension but it's richer and more complex at this stage.
About the producer
Based in Gevrey-Chambertin, Domaine Armand Rousseau is one of Burgundy’s most famous estates. Revered for making unearthly expressions of Pinot Noir, the estate’s wines are some of the most collectable in the world.