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Domaine Armand Rousseau

Burgundy, Beaune, France

  • 52
    of the 245 000
    wine producers
    of the world

  • Weather

    4° C Scattered clouds

  • Time

    10:35 AM

  • Wine average?

    96 Tb

  • Country Ranking?

    27

  • Region Ranking?

    6

  • Popularity ranking?

    19

News

2019 Vintage - Very good to exceptional quality, powerful and balanced. Excellent cellaring potential.

APPELLATIONS CELLARING POTENTIAL
Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Clos du Chateau - Monopole

2 to 5 years
Gevrey-Chambertin Village

10 to 15 years
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-Saint-Jacques

20 to 30 years
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

20 to 30 years
Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

20 to 30 years
Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru

20 to 30 years
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

20 to 30 years
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru - Clos des Ruchottes - Monopole

20 to 30 years
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques

25 to 35 years
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

25 to 35 years
Chambertin Grand Cru

25 to 35 years

 

 

 

VINTAGE 2016 - Vintages of very good to exceptional quality, powerful and balanced. Excellent cellaring potential.

Cellaring Potential:

 

Gevrey-Chambertin Cuvée Clos du Chateau - Monopole

2 to 5 years
Gevrey-Chambertin Village

10 to 15 years
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux-Saint-Jacques

20 to 30 years
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

20 to 30 years
Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

20 to 30 years
Mazy-Chambertin Grand Cru

20 to 30 years
Clos de la Roche Grand Cru

20 to 30 years
Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru - Clos des Ruchottes - Monopole

20 to 30 years
Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques

25 to 35 years
Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

25 to 35 years
Chambertin Grand Cru

25 to 35 years

 

 

 

Vintage 2014 by Armand Rousseau -We are looking at a good vintage!

 

Autumn and winter were humid and very mild which allowed the Spring growth to start very early in the vines. The first signs of the vines coming to life are at the beginning of March with the buds starting to develop before the 15th.  At this stage 2014 is one of the earliest years along with 2011 and 2012. Despite the dry weather since early March, from mid April the bud development is very active.

In May the effects of the dry conditions start to make themselves felt in certain parcels of vines with the vegetation getting blocked. However with the rise in temperatures from the end of May to early June the vines find their rhythm and the flowering starts. Before the end of June the flowering is finished in the Côte de Nuits. The weather is wonderful and everything one could hope for, this accelerates the development of the grapes and the bunches are formed. August is wet and grey and the grapes finally turn colour towards the last ten days. Early September sees a return of the anticyclone and the weather is favourable for the grapes to have a good maturation period.

 

The harvest at the Domaine starts on the 12th September in perfect weather conditions and all the picking is done in 8 days. The temperatures hover around 27 degrees and everyone is still in shorts ! Extra vigilance and care is taken when picking and selecting the grapes so as not to allow any ‘acidic rot’ into the cellar.And now the process of producing this precious nectar, the 2014 vintage, starts.

 

 

 

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History

The Domaine was started at the beginning of the 20th century by Armand Rousseau who, at the age of 18, inherited several plots of vineyards in Gevrey Chambertin. He came from a family of small landowners, composed mainly of vine growers, coopers and local wine merchants.

Armand's marriage in 1909 provided him with additional vineyards, as well as the current Domaine premises, situated near the 13th Century church, the oldest part of the village and which includes a house, storage space, the cellars and the winery, Armand Rousseau first sells his wines in bulk to local wholesalers.

Then very rapidly, he buys new vineyards such as CHARMES CHAMBERTIN in 1919, CLOS DE LA ROCHE and CHAMBERTIN in 1920 and 1921 and he decides to bottle himself his most prestigious wines and sell them directly to customers, particularly to restaurants and connoisseurs, wisely advised by Raymond Baudoin, a great friend of his and the founder of the "Revue des Vins de France".

 

As years go by, Armand Rousseau continues to enlarge his Domaine with the purchase of more Grands Crus, classified as such in 1935 when the "Institut des Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée" was created, that is, MAZY CHAMBERTIN in 1937, MAZOYERES CHAMBERTIN (now appearing under the appellation of CHARMES CHAMBERTIN) in 1940, CHAMBERTIN in 1956, 1970, 1983 and 1994.

The CLOS SAINT JACQUES is bought in 1954 in his son Charles's name who, after studying law and then oenology in Dijon University, joins his father in 1945.

In 1959, after Armand Rousseau's death in a car accident on his way back from hunting, Charles Rousseau is at the head of a Domaine of 6 ha which he will continue developing rapidly thanks to his great knowledge in oenology, and his experience, by acquiring new vineyards, especially in "Grands Crus" areas. Speaking fluent English and German, he decides to turn principally towards export, and, after the USA where his father had already started to sell his wines right after prohibition, at the end of the 30's, he develops the exchanges first with Great-Britain, Germany, Switzerland, soon afterwards to all European countries, then to Canada, Australia, New-Zealand, Brazil, etc. and lastly Asia in the 1970’s.

In 1982, Eric, his son joined the team after studies at the Lycée Agricole et Viticole of Mâcon Davayé and one year of specializing in oenology at Dijon University. He was also able to extend his knowledge by working for negociants and wineshops in Burgundy. Eric starts in the vineyards. He introduces new techniques such as the green harvest, leaf removal and mechanical work of the soil without use of insecticides or chemical additions. He orientates the Domaine towards a more organic viticulture and gets more involved with the vinification. He maintains the Domaine's traditional way of winemaking, with the minimum of manipulations.

The wines from Domaine Armand Rousseau have developped over the years but have always kept the same spirit as when Armand and Charles were making then. The “Rousseau hand” is a style of wine very recognizable. Our wines are typically Burgundian : Fine, elegant and an honest, true expression of the vineyards through the Pinot Noir grape and a little piece of the winemaker. 

From 1993 to 2005, Corinne, Charles’s elder daughter, after many years working abroad and in France, returns to the Domaine, and the same year achieves a diploma in oenology, and it is now her responsibility to take charge of the commercial relationships with the customer and the various tastings.

In 2006, she is replaced by Fréderic Robert for everything that concerns tastings and relations with customers.

At the same time, Brigitte Rousseau, Eric youngest sister, joins the team and takes charge of the private clients before deciding in 2012 to leave the Domaine and to pass it on to the next generation.

In 2012, Cyrielle Rousseau starts to work with her father. She passed a DEUG in Geology, a Licence in Viticulture and a diploma in oenology, then went overseas to gain experience in Oregon, Australia and New Zealand..

She is now full time at the winery, working with Eric to discover all the different sides of the work.

 

 

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Vineyards

Viticulture

At the present day, the Domaine vineyards have a surface area of 15 ha 33, of which 3 ha are of Village Appellation, 3 ha 77 of 1er Cru Appellation and 8 ha 51 of Grands Crus A.O.C., all situated in the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis. The vines are mostly very old with an average age of 40 to 45 years. The vines are 100% Pinot Noir with 11 000 vines planted per hectare. The selections used are clones chosen for their small production and their concentration.

"Guyot simple" pruning is being used in all vineyards. The exposure is towards the South-East on lime-clay soils.

The method of culture in the vineyards is traditional with low yield, from 30 to 40 hectoliters per hectare. No fertilizer has been used for many years. "Debudding" and green harvest are systematically done in productive years in order to optimize the maturity of grapes and the concentration of phenolic components.

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Winemaking

Viniculture

Vinification is done in a very traditional style with 90% destemming, about 18 to 20 days fermentation in open stainless steel vats with regular "pumping over" and "pigeage",and a strict control of temperatures with a maximum of 31-34°C.

Once alcoholic fermentation is over, the wines are delicately pressed in a pneumatic press, let to settle 24 hours, and then transferred in oak barrels down in the cellars where malolactic fermentation takes place naturally.

 

The wine is then aged in 100 % new oak barrels for the Chambertin and the Chambertin Clos de Bèze. The Clos Saint Jacques is put into new barrels between 70% and 100%. All the others great wines are aged in barrels of one wine. The "villages" in barrels of two wines.

The toasting of the barrels is medium. Ageing lasts 20 months during which 2 rackings are done.
Bottling takes place generally in april after a very light plaque filtration to preserve the delicate Pinot Noir fruit and retain finesse and elegance.

The bottling is done by gravity, directly from the barrels after "assemblage", and always at cellar temperature. 

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Inside information

When to drink our wines

 We classified our wines according to 3 different styles.

 1. Vintages giving fruity and balanced wines to drink young, such as : 1986, 1992, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008.

 2. Medium to long ageing vintages, such as : 1985, 1987, 1989, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011.

 3. Beautiful to exceptional quality vintages with power and balance. Of very long ageing potential, such as : 1983, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2012 

Number of years for an optimal tasting 

Appellations 1 2 3
Gevrey-Chambertin Village 6/9 9/12 10/15
Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 9/12 10/15 15/25
Charmes-Chambertin 10/20 15/25 20/30
Mazy-Chambertin 10/20 15/25 20/30
Clos de la Roche 10/20 15/25 20/30
Ruchottes-Chambertin 10/20 15/25 20/30
Clos Saint Jacques 1er Cru 15/25 20/30 25/35
Chambertin 15/25 20/30 25/35
Chambertin Clos de Bèze 15/25 20/30 25/35
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10 different wines with 261 vintages

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