Domaine Armand Rousseau   Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru

2006 Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru

By Domaine Armand Rousseau

2006 Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau, Burgundy, France

The heralded 2006 vintage for the Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru from the storied Domaine Armand Rousseau is a particularly compelling chapter in the annals of fine Burgundian viticulture. This vintage has over time etched itself into the memory of collectors and investors alike, not merely as another outstanding produce from the Rousseau lineage but as a unique testimony to the adaptation and resilience of Pinot Noir under challenging climatic whimsies.

 

Intricate Vintage, Stellar Expression

The growing season of 2006 experienced bursts of heat interspersed with unexpected rain showers, pushing the vigneron's prowess to its limits. However, the expertise of Domaine Armand Rousseau navigated this capricious climate to cultivate a wine that stands as an archetype of elegance and depth. The 2006 vintage reveals how a critical confluence of terroir and human touch coalesce into an artwork in a bottle.

 

Notes that Narrate Complexity

Tasting the 2006 Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau is akin to uncovering a tapestry woven with threads of ripe cherry, damp earth, and subtle hints of spice—a reflection of both its Mazis-Chambertin heritage and the climatic narrative of '06. It rests on the palate with a confidence that belies its years, offering a glimpse into a moment where time seemed to stand still amidst the abounding frenzy of harvest challenges.

As one ponders investment opportunities in fine wines, it’s essential to recognise vintages like the 2006. It is not just another exemplary representation from Burgundy, but rather one imbued with rarity forged by nature's trial—a remark on both its collectability and potential appreciation.

 

Connoisseur’s Insight

In summing up this spectacular offering, the 2006 Mazis Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau stands as a beacon among Burgundies for astute investors and connoisseurs. It encapsulates the quintessence of its terroir whilst immortalising the specific trials and victories of its vintage year—a compelling component for diversified wine portfolios seeking distinction and pedigree.

Current market price

$23,650.00

12x75cl

Highest score

93

POP score

1093.08

Scores and tasting notes

93-94

The Rousseau 2006 Chambertin offers a gorgeous bouquet of roses, fresh cherry, nutmeg, and anise. Not at all weighty, it however offers caressing refinement of texture and luscious fluidity of well-concentrated red fruits and liquid floral perfume. Subtly smoky, meaty undertones gain prominence as the wine takes on air, and ineffable mineral notes emerge, too, as this finishes with lift, refinement, intricate interactive complexity, and lip-smacking generosity, yet not without an aura of mystery appropriate to this great site. No doubt the results will be worth following for a dozen or more years. 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

88

Tart cherry enjoys a prominent return engagement throughout this year's Rousseau collection, and no more so than in a 2006 Mazy–Chambertin that mingles its bright fruit with salted beef stock and an amalgam of wet stone and chalk. Smoky and cyanic cherry pit notes only heighten the sense of austerity which it must however be pointed out accompanies an admirable sense of purity, clean meatiness, and tannic refinement into a sustained finish. This looks likely to benefit from several years in bottle, but again I would be inclined to drink it within the next six or seven thereafter. 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

Vintage performance