Rare Wines

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The 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is turning out nicely, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet berry fruit and plums complemented by hints of smoked meats, preserved citrus, warm spices and raw cocoa. Medium to full-bodied, supple and charming, it’s pretty and fine-boned, with good depth at the core, velvety tannins and a seamless, enveloping profile. This is another cuvée that I suspect will turn out to be Rousseau’s finest rendition since at least 2012.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RP(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Red) Discreet but perceptible wood sets off pretty and nicely layered aromas of red currant, forest floor, spice and a suggestion of warm earth character. There is excellent intensity to the detailed, palate coating and sappy medium-bodied flavors that are firm, powerful and unusually robust on the refined, focused and sneaky long finish. There is very good size and weight, yet the overall impression is rather one of refinement. (Drink starting 2034)Burghound | 91-94 BHThe 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is very perfumed on the nose of rose-petal-infused red berry fruit, although I would like to see more complexity develop in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with candied red fruit on the entry, orange zest, and light, almost peachy notes that I would associate with a white wine. It does not possess the substance or grip of Rousseau’s other cuvées, although it does deliver a lovely silky texture and fine length.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

The 2019 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru opens in the glass with rich aromas of berry fruit, loamy soil, peonies, dark chocolate and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and elegantly muscular, it’s generous and enveloping, with velvety tannins and fine depth at the core. Bright and lively, it’s another wine that marries maturity with freshness.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93-95 RPThe 2019 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is highly perfumed on the nose, presenting an irresistible mixture of red and subtle blue fruit, very harmonious and exquisitely defined. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. A feminine and very elegant Clos de la Roche that may well be earlier-drinking than others but feels very poised, with a touch of spice on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMProduced from three parcels: two in the original Clos de la Roche vineyard and almost 1ha in Les Fremières. Aged in used casks like the producer’s Charmes, this has a very different character, with dark, plummy fruit alongside an earthy note on the nose, and a texture that is less firm perhaps, but broader and more full-bodied. Very solid. Drinking Window 2024 - 2059.Decanter | 95 DEC(Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Red) Here too there is just enough wood to remark upon surrounding the well-layered blend of red and blue pinot fruit, earth and a plenitude of spice and floral elements. The wonderfully energetic, sleek and equally muscular larger-scaled flavors also brim with minerality on the refined, focused, balanced and even more persistent finish. This is terrific and a wine that should easily repay two decades of cellaring if you have the patience. (Drink starting 2036)Burghound | 92-95 BH

The 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 1er Cru has wonderful transparency on the nose of red currant and wild strawberry, plus glimpses of orange blossom and rose petal. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, lightly spiced and quite peppery in the mouth. Fine grip and length. This is a lovely Lavaux that will be difficult to resist in its youth.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMThe 2019 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux Saint-Jacques is promising, mingling aromas of cassis and smoky berries with hints of loamy oil, raw cocoa and potpourri. Medium-bodied, bright and lively, with a succulent core of fruit framed by ultra-refined tannins, it concludes with a long, perfumed finish. This is the highest-alcohol wine in the cellar in 2019, but that certainly didn’t stand out in the glass.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91-93 RPModerate reduction dominates the underlying fruit today. Otherwise there is very good volume and intensity to the tautly muscular and serious medium-bodied flavors that brim with minerality while exhibiting excellent depth and persistence on the well-balanced and mildly austere finale. This is firm but not as firm as it usually is though with that said, it will still need 10 to 12 years of cellaring.Burghound | 90-93 BH

This large 1.75ha holding is at the northern end of the lieu-dit, not far from Bonnes Mares, where it is planted in a terres blanches soil similar to the top of the slope. In 2019, the fruit has given a seductive result, with profuse raspberry aromas, a hint of ginger and liquorice. The texture on the palate shows plenty of extract, with sweet fruit but also a lovely depth and density. Drinking Window 2024 - 2049.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2019 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru was showing a little more reduction than the Les Combottes, though not much, allowing black fruit laced with crushed stone and iris flower to emerge with aeration. The palate is beautifully defined with succulent, vibrant red and black fruit, hints of blood orange and a subtle irony tincture toward the graceful finish. An outstanding Les Cras. Just superb.Vinous Media | 93-95 VMRoumier’s 2019 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras unwinds in the glass with scents of cherries, smoky berry fruit, orange rind, Indian spices and dark chocolate. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and elegantly textural, it’s rich and concentrated, with powdery tannins, succulent acids and a perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPThis is definitely ripe yet again quite fresh with its overtly floral combination of cassis, poached plum, anise, rose petal and discreet wood-suffused aromas. Once again there is a really lovely texture to the more obviously mineral-driven flavors that culminate in a highly refreshing, chiseled and youthfully austere finale that delivers notably better length. Impressive stuff that should age effortlessly. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 93 BH

The 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the usual blend of vineyards: two-thirds in Charmes-Chambertin itself and one-third in Mazoyères. It contains 60% whole bunch and 66% new oak. Very generous and opulent on the nose of dark cherries plus hints of baked gingerbread and clementine; this is very intense. The palate is medium-bodied with a structured opening. The Mazoyères component feels more influential than the Charmes, and the grippy, overtly saline finish does not want to let go. This will be fascinating to watch develop. I love the sense of control throughout.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM(Domaine Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru Red) A markedly floral nose is quite pretty with its array of earth, liqueur-like dark berries and lovely spice wisps. There is again outstanding volume to the beautifully textured large-scaled flavors that exude a bracing salinity on the sneaky long and well-balanced if overtly austere finale that displays absolutely stunning length. Here too plenty of patience will be required. (Drink starting 2037)Burghound | 96 BHAromas of orange rind, red cherries, plums, licorice, spices and peonies introduce the 2019 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, a full-bodied, ample and layered wine that’s deep and concentrated, with a generous core of fruit, melting tannins and a long, rose-inflected finish. As ever, this is the domaine’s most immediate, sensual grand cru.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RP