2021 Domaine Armand Rousseau Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru

Rousseau's Charmes is the first grand cru tasted in the cellar. The emphasis here is on the purity of fruit and silky expression rather than the lush density of some growers. There is a hint of spice to the ripe, ethereal cherry aromas, but there is no new wood in the maturation here – 'you have to avoid crushing it with new wood', according to Cyrielle. It is produced from a combination of relatively young vines in Charmes proper with old vines from Mazoyères, which give a very elegant result.(CC)

In some vintages, the Rousseaus’ Charmes-Chambertin can be quite black fruity in personality, and in others it is all red fruit, as is the case in 2021. The is a beautifully perfumed and polished wine that will be velvety and utterly seductive once it is ready to drink. The nose wafts from the glass in a blend of red plums, strawberries, cherries, spiced meats, a lovely base of dark soil tones, a nice touch of chocolate, woodsmoke and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and the epitome of elegance, with a sappy core of red fruit, lovely soil undertow, buried, fine-grained tannins and excellent focus and grip on the long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. A beautiful example of Charmes-Chambertin. (Drink between 2033-2090)