The Chambertin is a more closed, deeper-colored wine than the outstanding Gevrey-Chambertin-Clos St.-Jacques. The Chambertin reveals an impressive dark ruby/purple color, a closed bouquet, and tight, hard tannins. This deep, broad-shouldered, full-bodied, intensely concentrated, chewy-textured, closed wine needs 5-6 years cellaring. It should last through the first decade of the next century.
At the top level, Rousseau consistently produces three profound wines - Gevrey-Chambertin-Clos St.-Jacques (as good as most producer's grands crus), Chambertin-Clos de Beze, and Chambertin. That being said, I remain perplexed as to why Rousseau's other wines are so surprisingly light and fluid. While good, sometimes very good, they are markedly inferior to his top three wines. Never one to jump on the bandwagon for forward, super-ripe vintages, (he still believes 1983 is the finest vintage of the eighties), Rousseau is unpersuaded by the acclaim bestowed on 1990.
Importer: Frederick Wildman, New York, NY.