1988 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru
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Tasting notes
The 1988 Chambertin Grand Cru from Rousseau offers up a complex and pristine bouquet of red and black berries, grilled meat, wood smoke and cedary wood. On the palate, the wine is medium-full, with a firm but fine chassis of tannin and taut but integrated signature 1988 acidity—structural elements framing a Chambertin of great depth and intensity. This is not as ample or authoritative as the very greatest vintages, but in terms of balance, complexity and concentration, it doesn't miss a beat.
Critic scores
William Kelley, Wine Advocate
Allen Meadows, Burghound
More reviews and scores
The 1988 Chambertin is powerful and burly, but it also lacks the fruit density of the other wines in this tasting that share its virile personality. Hints of tobacco, smoke and leather add shades of complexity. I suspect the 1988 will drink well for another 15+ years, even if it will probably never reach the heights of some of the more profound vintages. I have had better examples of the 1988.
The 1988 Chambertin opens with regal, soaring aromatics. Like the Bèze, the '88 Chambertin is dense and powerful to the core. The overall impression is of baritone-like darkness and depth. Smoke, licorice, menthol and dark spices wrap around the imposing finish. Explosive, energetic and intense in the glass, the 1988 unfurls with superb grace and intensity. This is a glorious Chambertin from Rousseau.
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.