Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru 2018 (BH97)

Burghound 97
There is barely enough wood to mention on the wonderfully fresh and airy aromas of red cherry, pomegranate, earth and a hint of the sauvage. The seductively textured yet well-delineated big-bodied flavors possess an abundance of energy on the intensely mineral-inflected, sappy and impeccably well-balanced finale that reflects a touch of youthful austerity. The sheer level of complexity is stunning, and this knockout of a Chambertin should age for a very, very long time yet it's not so backward and it couldn't be approached after a decade or so of aging.

Wine Advocate 97
The most introverted cuvée in the cellar when I visited was the 2018 Chambertin Grand Cru, a deep and brooding wine that unwinds in the glass with aromas of ripe berry fruit, plums, rose hips and orange rind, framed by creamy new oak. On the palate, it's full-bodied, velvety and layered, with superb concentration and broad structural shoulders. This is a muscular Chambertin that it will be exciting to revisit from bottle, and I expect it will gain considerably from its second winter in barrel.

Decanter 96
Domaine Rousseau's holdings in this most prestigious of Gevrey-Chambertin Grands Crus are made up of four parcels covering 2.5ha. The good news is that there are 40 barrels of this sought-after wine in 2018, all of them new because 'it needs them to develop', according to Cyrielle Rousseau. It's a refined, even patrician wine showing subtle cinnamon spice, racy acidity and layers of raspberry and wild strawberry fruit. Denser and more powerful than it appears, this will age well in bottle. Drinking Window 2024 - 2036.