2016 Clos de la Roche
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is one of the standout vintages in recent years. This has an intense, almost penetrating bouquet with red and blue fruit, incense and a sprig of wild mint. There's a lot going on aromatically… and it's just getting started. The palate has a ripe entry, plenty of ripeness and succulence counterbalanced by a silver thread of acidity. Very harmonious, tremendous length, this feels like a "complete package," poised and Rousseau in full effect.
Critic scores
Average Score
Neal Martin
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
When I tasted the 2016 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru from barrel, I wasn't convinced that it could match Rousseau's finest recent renditions of this cuvée such as the 2012, 2010 or 2005. From bottle, the wine has closed the gap, wafting from the glass with a deep bouquet of cherries, ripe red berries, raw cocoa, beetroot and sweet soil tones. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with a pretty core of fruit framed by fine-grained tannins and lively acids. This is a delicate, sapid Clos de la Roche that will drink well with a decade of bottle age.
(25% new oak): Bright, dark red. Very ripe, musky nose combines purple fruits, mocha, brown spices and game, along with some subtle earth notes. The sweetest of these 2016s to this point but also fine-grained and elegant, with its intense fruit and soil flavors nicely framed by lively acidity. Very rich, dense and alive. Offers a classic Clos de la Roche combination of fruits, spices and soil character.
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.