When a domain manages to become an epitome of great Burgundy in just under 100 years, one can only take one's hat off. The Armand Rousseau domain in Gevrey-Chambertin has followed this path impressively. Armand Rousseau, scion of a family of winemakers, wine merchants and cooperage, founded the estate at the beginning of the 20th century.
At that time, however, he owned only a few parcels, the yield of which he sold to other wine merchants or trading houses. Over the decades, however, he succeeded again and again in acquiring selected pieces in the best sites of the commune of Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis. He also began to process the grapes himself and to age the wine. And over the decades, a legendary reputation and magical aura developed around Rousseau's wines.
Today, Erich Rousseau and his daughter Cyrielle run the winery. The vineyard area has not grown much; the vineyards cover just 15 hectares, all of which are dedicated to Pinot Noir and distributed among such historic sites as Clos de la Roche, Charmes-Chambertin, and Le Chambertin. At 63,000 bottles a year, production is so small that it is barely enough to satisfy the huge demand. Cyrielle has studied viticulture and cellaring techniques in Pinot Noir strongholds such as Oregon and New Zealand, but at home in Gevrey-Chambertin they have concluded that traditional techniques, combined with an excellent understanding of the terroir and the nature of the vines, produce the best wines.
The vineyards are farmed organically in a natural way, and about 15 percent of grapes not destemmed are left in the barrel during fermentation to achieve a greater tannin yield. A very complex method, that also imposes a period of ageing on the wines, which however is repaid with a long life, great depth and a breathtaking structure.
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