Charmes-Chambertin 2018 - domaine A. Rousseau

Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018 — Domaine Armand Rousseau

This Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018 from Domaine Armand Rousseau embodies one of the most sensual, profound and sought-after expressions of Gevrey-Chambertin. An emblematic Grand Cru of the Côte de Nuits, Charmes-Chambertin offers a broad, silky and intensely perfumed Pinot Noir, here driven by the generous ripeness and aromatic brilliance of the 2018 vintage: black cherry, Morello cherry, ripe raspberry, cassis, plum, faded rose, violet, fine spices, liquorice, noble earth, emerging forest floor, fine leather, black tea and a long mineral finish.

Domaine Armand Rousseau is one of the absolute references of Gevrey-Chambertin and all of Burgundy, renowned for wines of exceptional purity, depth and longevity. Charmes-Chambertin is distinguished by a more velvety, enveloping and seductive expression than some of the village’s more austere crus, while retaining the structure, precision and nobility of Gevrey’s great terroirs. The 2018 vintage brings ripeness, density, fruit richness and silky texture, with remarkable ageing potential.

Terroir: Charmes-Chambertin, breadth and nobility of Gevrey-Chambertin

The Charmes-Chambertin climat is one of the historic Grands Crus of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its clay-limestone soils, marls and stony elements give Pinot Noir an expression that is generous, perfumed and structured. The cru is renowned for its balance between Gevrey power, sensual texture, deep fruit and mineral length.

At Domaine Armand Rousseau, Charmes-Chambertin translates into a wine of great elegance, at once fleshy, precise and profoundly distinguished. The terroir brings a noble tannic frame, aromatic richness and a persistent finish. In 2018, the ripeness of the vintage reinforces fruit intensity and breadth on the palate, while the natural freshness of Pinot Noir preserves balance, tension and clarity of the climat.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep ruby with garnet and purple reflections, bright, dense and still youthful. The colour reflects the ripeness of the 2018 vintage, the depth of the Grand Cru and elegant concentration, built for slow evolution.

Nose: deep, pure and highly expressive, with black cherry, Morello cherry, ripe raspberry, cassis, plum, red and black fruits, faded rose, violet, fine spices, liquorice and noble earth. With aeration and evolution, nuances of forest floor, fine leather, black tea, cocoa, sweet pepper, bark, light truffle and limestone minerality may appear.

Palate: broad, dense, silky and elegantly structured, with ripe, precise fruit carried by preserved freshness. Flavours of black cherry, Morello cherry, raspberry, cassis, plum, spices, liquorice, fine earth, forest floor and leather unfold with depth, supported by ripe, fine and polished tannins. The finish is long, mineral, lightly saline and delicately spicy, with an impression of charm, nobility and great Burgundian persistence.

Expression of the 2018 vintage

The 2018 vintage in Burgundy produced ripe, expressive and generous red wines, with marked fruit richness and often velvety textures. In the great terroirs of Gevrey-Chambertin, this ripeness combines with the natural structure of the crus and persistent minerality, giving deep, seductive wines capable of evolving with complexity.

Today, this Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2018 from Domaine Armand Rousseau remains young, but it can already impress through its ripe fruit, texture and balance after measured aeration. With time, it will gain forest floor, fine leather, truffle, black tea, cocoa, melted spices, noble earth and mineral nuances, while preserving the depth of red and black fruit typical of the vintage.