2006 Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru
By Domaine Armand Rousseau
2006 Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau, Burgundy, France
In the realm of fine wine from Burgundy, the 2006 Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau emerges with a narrative steeped in the uniqueness of its vintage; a year that called for profound vineyard stewardship to counter the caprices of Mother Nature.
The Patina of Time: A Vintage Expression
Akin to an artist's rare piece, the 2006 vintage from Domaine Armand Rousseau weaves complexity and finesse into a tapestry that belies the climactic challenges of that season. This challenging year harvested wines of impressive vigour, where Rousseau's inimitable precision carved out a Grand Cru offering both radiant fruit and tenacious character. Its evolution in bottle has amplified this firm sophistication – rendering it a jewel for fine wine investors.
A Connoisseur's Symphony: Sensory Alchemy
The terroir's inherent brilliance surfaces as one delves into the glass – a plenitude of dark cherry notes, harmonising with savoury undertones and an elegant whisper of earthiness. The initial robustness on the palate melts away to reveal an ethereal silkiness, reminiscent of the elegance that only time can bestow.
The climatic adversity faced by Domaine Armand Rousseau translated into a wine that demands reflection. Tannins, once assertive, now glide effortlessly amongst layers of nuanced flavour, bolstered by an acidity that promises continued longevity. Indeed, this 2006 Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru stands as a testament not only to its maker's mastery but also to the potential locked within each bottle – a potential that unfurls beautifully with time.
Investment Horizon: Provenance and Potential
The standing of Domaine Armand Rousseau in the echelons of cherished Burgundian producers is unmistakable. With proven investment merit, their 2006 Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru continues to underscore the virtues of patience and insight for those who curate cellars with an eye both towards heritage and profitability.
As we witness this 2006 vintage burgeon into its full expanse of expression, those guardians who harbour such bottles are not merely investors but custodians of vinous artistry. Here lies a fine example where oenophiles and collectors converge upon a shared appreciation – confirming that indeed, some wines transcend mere drink; they become storytellers of vintage and virtue alike.
Current market price
$55,920.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
2400
Scores and tasting notes
The Rousseau 2006 Chambertin Clos Des Beze, while – unlike their Chambertin – hailed-on, is in a class by itself in this collection for sheer flavor intensity, as well as for obvious (but not obtrusively tannic) sense of structure and density. Ripe but tart blackberry, black cherry, and licorice are underlain by saline, meat stock, chalky, peaty undertones that carry into a multi-registered, reverberating, veritable organ chord of a finish. This fascinating contrast with its Chambertin sibling will no doubt be worth following for 12-15 years. Rousseau reports that the net yield after discarding fruit during harvest was a mere 15 hectoliters per hectare. Since Eric Rousseau – as mentioned in my issue 170 run-down of his methodology – does not on principle utilize a sorting table, I imagined the aftermath of hail in 2006 presenting a special challenge to his pickers and to bottled quality, but it was one he and his team clearly surmounted. Clos de Beze, Griotte-, and Chapelle-Chambertin were the worst-effected, relates Rousseau, along with numerous of his village-level parcels. Potential alcohol levels are closer to 2003's record highs than they are to those of 2005, but the finished 2006s – while hardly as successful as their immediate predecessors – do not suffer any spirituous roughness or heat, and are thus free to effectively make their relatively light, bright, and in the best instances distinctive statements. Rousseau reports – and my limited opportunities for comparison confirm – that the initially rather austere and even brittle, disjointed personalities of these wines were ameliorated in the course of elevage, and the best of them have blossomed beautifully. (I was unable to taste several top wines here after bottling, so my notes on those are based on a representative sampling and blending from cask shortly before bottling.) Importer: Frederic Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700
David Schildknecht - The Wine Advocate, 21 December 2009