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Tasting Notes
The 2020 Chambertin Grand Cru is a little oakier on the nose than its peers, though it remains proportionate to the fruit. There's a little more concentration, maybe slightly later-picked, and then I notice a touch of TCA. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, a keen line of acidity, a structure and more austere Chambertin, even though there is plenty of fruit. Just a bit of dryness on the finish. I think the scintilla of TCA just shaves this Chambertin, and an untainted bottle would shine. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.
Critic Scores
Average Score
Neal Martin, Vinous
Neal Martin, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Deep and dark, with slightly sultry fruit on the nose. Inky cherries, gives a rather broad based feel with less refinement, and slight heat at the back. There is an earthy note as well. Out of sorts at the moment, and I am sure that today’s tasting will prove to be an aberration.
Rousseau's 2020 Chambertin Grand Cru is brilliant, unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild berries, orange rind, plums, exotic spices, Egyptian musk, woodsmoke and rose petals. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's deep and tightly wound, with striking intensity and energy. Still very primary, even after a year's élevage, it will require patience, but it's a magical Chambertin in the making.
The 2020 Chambertin Grand Cru has a touch of reduction but that soon dissipated to reveal intense black and red fruit, half and half really, crushed rock (sea cave), a very subtle marine influence the develops with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, taut and fresh, closing in a little on the finish although I think that is due to the coolness creeping in within the cellar. This is already imbued with a tantalizing sense of magnificence - but would you expect anything less?
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.