Armand Rousseau is a name that can stop Burgundy fanatics in their tracks. Once the insider’s wine, the last two decades in particular have seen Rousseau shed its cloak of partial invisibility and become a bonafide member of Burgundy’s elite. It would be rare to find anyone who would question Domaine Armand Rousseau’s claims on the crown for Gevrey-Chambertin. According to Anthony Hanson MW, author of the original Burgundy bible first published in 1982, "Whatever country it may be, I expect to be in the hands of a knowledgeable, conscientious Burgundy lover if I track down Armand Rousseau’s importer or distributor."
Unsurprisingly, the rise of Rousseau has been far from an overnight success, and reflects generations of knowledge and effort which began to come together over a century ago when the domaine was launched. The Rousseau family are first and foremost grape growers with first Armand, and then his son Charles, Rousseau highly acclaimed for their viticultural skills although the wider clan has also been long involved as merchants and barrel coopers. In an industry and region with strong and long-held traditions, the Rousseaus were most successful as innovators, as one of the first producers to bottle and sell their own wine rather than rely on negociants. Once prohibition ended in the United States, Domaine Armand Rousseau was also one of the first labels to re-enter that important market winning many friends and fans in a short period of time.
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But Rousseau’s greatest asset has been their vision and focus, particularly with regard to vineyard acquisition and access to the best fruit in Gevrey-Chambertin. While Armand Rousseau did inherit some vineyard plots in the early 1900s, on which the domaine was founded, it was the aggressive program of acquisitions that set up the business for success, with new additions continually made up until relatively recently in 2009.
The current landholdings are quite phenomenal; 14 hectares including 2.15 hectares of Le Chambertin, as the largest landholder, and 1.42 hectares of Chambertin Clos de Beze with additional landholdings in other key vineyards. Thankfully over the years these hallowed terroirs under Rousseau ownership have been respected and, as production grew, quality also hardly missed a beat, which has not always been true in Burgundy. More recently, Rousseau has leased an additional 4.2 acres from a Chinese businessman who purchased the historic Chateau de Gevrey-Chambertin in 2012. While small parcels of this fruit from the Charmes-Chambertin and Lavaux St Jacques Premier Cru vineyards are now included in the Rousseau labels, the relatively new Clos du Chateau village Gevrey-Chambertin is sourced solely from this leased vineyard.
Winemaking at Domaine Armand Rousseau is fairly traditional although viticulture has changed in recent years with more careful use of sprays and fertilisers, as well as yield control which has led to greater overall consistency. This is more a case of tightening methods rather than any wholesale change. The lack of whole bunch fruit and 20 day ferments without temperature control creates hearty but not flashy Burgundies - seamless wines with a natural structure that, while charming in their youth, start to hit their best as they approach a decade in bottle.
One of the highlights in the wines from Rousseau is their transparency, always showcasing their individual terroirs, whether it is the raw power and authority of Le Chambertin, the greater generosity and perfume of Clos de Beze while retaining Chambertin’s density thanks to its slightly steeper and sun-kissed slope, or the more angular and rustic Ruchottes-Chambertin reared in leaner soils. Conversely, Clos de la Roche, Mazy and Charmes-Chambertin are prettier and more vibrant in their youth, still stunning, although they lack quite the definition or focus of wines from higher up the slope. The more haunting perfumes found in the wines exposed to the cooling winds from the Combe de Lavaux are also worth experiencing, from Premiers Cru vineyards including Clos St Jacques, Laxaux St Jacques and Les Cazetiers, to fully appreciate the wonderful diversity to be found in wines from Gevrey-Chambertin.
As always with Burgundy, independent of vineyard, producer is the key variable and, in the case of Armand Rousseau, that is a practical guarantee for wines of the highest quality at every level. However, Armand Rousseau is not the only domaine capable of crafting exceptional wines from this village. Others that should be on your shopping list include:
Domaine Rossignol-Trapet - One of the best in Gevrey-Chambertin and offers rare value for money with wines from some of the region’s hallmark vineyards.
Domaine Bruno Clair - Long admired for exceptional value, Bruno Clair is now also rising to the highest echelons in quality as well.
Domaine Dugat-Py - Deeply flavoured wines from old vines thankfully now with less use of new oak although the wines still demand extended cellaring to show their best.
Domaine Duroche - Five generations of Duroche family have slowly built this domaine into one of the region’s finest with the acquisition of old vines in top vineyards, including a 1920 block of Clos de Beze, one of the keys to their success.
Domaine Fourrier - After an apprenticeship that included time working Henry Jayer and Domaine Drouhin as well as within the family business, Jean-Marie Fourrier excels with his perfumed and ethereal wines that place this domain among the elite of Gevey-Chambertin.
Domaine Trapet Pere a Fils - Quality here is hard to fault and, on their day, these are some of Gevrey-Chambertin’s very best wines.
Domaine Denis Bachelet - This tiny 4 hectare estate is home to some of Gevrey-Chambertin’s most graceful and elegant wines with admirable purity that are worth tracking down, if you can.
Shop our selection of Domaine Armand Rousseau and Gevrey-Chambertin wines here.
