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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Chambertin – Domaine Armand Rousseau
Chambertin gained a reputation from the patronage of Napoleon I, who is rumoured not to have drunk anything else and watered down his Chambertin with plenty of water. He favoured it at five to six years old and never drank more than half a bottle with a meal. When the ex-Emperor was exiled on St. Helena, he was forced to drink claret, since that was easier to ship to the isolated island.
The Rousseau Domaine was started at the beginning of the 20th century by Armand Rousseau who, at his majority, inherited several plots of vineyards in Gevrey Chambertin. The Domaine premises with the living house, the storing places, the cellars and the winery, are situated in the oldest part of the village, near the 13th century church.
From 1959, after Armand Rousseau's death, Charles Rousseau was at the head of a Domaine of 6 ha which he continued developing rapidly thanks to his great knowledge in oenology, and his experience, by acquiring new vineyards, especially in "Grands Crus" areas. He decided to turn principally towards export, and, after the USA where his father had already starting to sell his wines right after prohibition at the end of the 30's, he developed 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.
His son Eric joined him at the beginning of the 1980's to take care more especially of the vineyards and the vinification. In 1993, Corinne, Charles's elder daughter, after many years of professional experience in export abroad and in France, came back to the Domaine and in her turn took in charge the commercial relationship with customers.
Domaine Armand Rousseau is the largest landowner of the Chambertin vineyard with a total of 5.3 acres. The 32 acres of Chambertin Grand Cru represent some of the finest and most storied Pinot Noir acreage on the planet and with all producers included typically produces less than 60,000 bottles. Chambertin is the beating heart of the red Grand Crus of the Côte d’Or sitting high on the hillside and bordered by Latricières-Chambertin to the south and Clos-de-Bèze to the north.
Vinification: Grapes are meticulously sorted as they arrive in the winery. Following a cool maceration the must travels by gravity into barrel where it will stay for the entire vinification process lasting typically 18-24 months. Each Armand Rousseau wine is blended unfiltered.
Burgundy writer Clive Coates refers to this Grand Cru as perhaps the finest red wine in the world. Always a tour de force, this wine has uncanny balance. It is very structured, dense, and powerful, it has firm, ripe tannins, yet it is not heavy. It has uncommonly long length on the palate.
Wine Information
In short, 2005 promises to be a great year for aging, as generous in quantity as in quality.
The period of vegetative rest which extends from October to February was marked by a winter slightly more rigorous and longer than the previous years, with normal rainfall and overdrawn sunning except in January.The pruning took place from November to March and there was no winter treatment. ‘Débourrement’ was around April 20th.
The renewal of activity of the vine occurred towards the end of March and the beginning of April, and the relatively fresh and disturbed climatic conditions were rather unfavorable to its development.At the end of April, a radical change in time provoked an explosion of vegetation and the delay in maturity compared to 2004 was entirely filled.
The dryness, which started at the beginning of June, was accentuated during all August.Flowering, engaged quickly, found its apogee from the 6th. to 10th. June. From mid-June to the end of month, the bays grew bigger very quickly because of the hot weather, and the ‘veraison’ began the first days of August.
The harvest, begun on the 14th of september, proceeded under excellent conditions, with the weather as with the quality of the extremely healthy, beautiful bunches and in sufficient quantity. All these ideal conditions gave a very beautiful harvest. Consequently, wine making was done in good conditions and lasted from 15 to 18 days. After a light cooling of the tanks at the beginning of ‘cuvaison’ (until a temperature of 15°C), alcoholic fermentation started naturally.
The maximum temperatures were relatively moderate (28°C to 33°C according to the tanks) and did not require any intervention to control the parameters. The extraction was done in a very soft way, with a little less intervention (pigeages and remontages) than usual. Malo-lactic fermentation, which started quickly, finished in AprilMay. The sugar level was high with a better acidity compared to the previous years, giving a very good balance. The first racking was carried out in September 2006.
Vuosikerta 2005
2005 VINTAGE in Burgundy / Hopes made way for certainty.
2005 promises to produce outstanding whites, with elegance and opulence beyond the norm, and superb, seductive and well-structured red wines.
The richness of these wines perfectly expresses the diversity of the region. A wine of excellent quality is achieved above all through the ripeness and healthiness of the grapes. For this reason, thanks to the almost ideal climatic conditions, 2005 will an exceptional year. At the point of harvest, the chardonnay and pinot noir grapes (the two principal grape varieties in Burgundy) were magnificent and luscious. The chardonnay produced resplendent golden grapes, bursting with sugar and the pinot noir produced densely packed grapes of an intense colour, characteristic of all great vintages. Due to low rainfall and weak northerly winds, the grapes remained in a remarkable state and did not require any sorting.
Under a radiant sun, the harvest passed by peacefully, giving the wine-growers the opportunity to assess the optimal maturity in relation to the grape varieties and parcels. The sugar content in the grapes reached above satisfactory levels, in some cases close to outstanding, which is a good indication of maturity, and promises a good balance between the acidity and sugar levels found in the wines
The red grapes' thick skin stored up large quantities of polyphenol (colour and tannin), a demonstration of their healthiness. Vinification took place in ideal circumstances.
Mid-november
The white wines, although still fermenting, already reveal an extraordinary richness and aromatic complexity with great finesse (notes of pear and peach with a hint of ripe grapefruits). On the palate, the wines are incredibly ample. The chewiness and acidity are in perfect harmony and enhance the elegance and freshness of the chardonnay.
The red wines possess deep and intense garnet-coloured robes. They exude intense aromas of fruit (blueberry, blackcurrants, cherries, wild strawberries) and variety of spices (pepper). On the palate, the fruit blends with the rounded elegance of the tannins and the light acidity, which all come together to ensure the length of the wine. The powerful and elegant structure of these wines is a sign of their good ageing potential. For the domaines, cooperatives and maisons of Burgundy, 2005 is without a doubt a vintage of exceptional quality which promises wonderful surprises for the consumer.
