“Rousseau is for drinking” - London offline

[Comte Flaneur]

Yesterday at La Trompette in West London

2006 Billecart-Salmon Cuvee Nicolas Francois

Classy mature fizz with lovely bracing tension, which matched the intensity of the May sunbeams, with yellow and green citrus notes and stony minerality, a perfect foil for what was to follow…93


Flight one: 2017 ‘young’ Rousseau

2017 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Lavaux Saint Jacques

Bright, focused, red-fruited, elegant, taut, with an austere, tensile, tannic lick; mineral and hint of oyster shell; perfectly judge acidity, it is approachable and has a long persistent finish; it settles down and opens in the glass; still youthful, but superb…94

2017 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers

A little easier going on the entry, with the new oak influence a bit more noticeable, with more pronounced mineral, earthy and oyster shell notes to remind you of its hallowed terroir, this wine has a thrilling tension and grabs your attention – it grabs you by the lapels - and finishes superbly; riveting…95

2017 Charmes Chambertin

Richer, with some plummy notes, and hints of truffle, creamy lux new oak and a beautiful texture, more hedonistic than the 1er crus in the flight, it luxuriates in strawberries and cream and also has a fabulous finish…95


Flight two: ‘middle-aged’ Rousseau

2007 Charmes Chambertin

A yeasty, savoury, beefy attack, animale and gamey, true to this serially under-rated vintage; so absolutely giving, so sexy and so right in the sweet spot; later a mineral savoury note, the wine to drink now, superb…95

2005 Mazy Chambertin

Not expressive on the nose, a shy wine, but as it comes out of its shell it has a truffle note, and clearly has plenty of potential; pent up, brooding, mid-heft; super mouth feel, and enhanced by the chicken ravioli dish, but still requires patience…93


Flight three: older Rousseau

1995 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Les Cazetiers

It has a big whiff of truffle on the nose with Bovril beef; it is well into its tertiary phase, a lovely wine which turned noticeably browner over the course of the lunch and based on this bottle needs drinking…92

1996 Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru Cazetiers

An evolved colour, with a smorgasbord of delightful, earth, truffles, minerals, woodsmoke, sous bois and gamey animale notes; perhaps the most expressive wine of the lunch, it still had a bit of lingering grip and residual tension that its 95 flight mate lacked. It is probably approaching the end of its drinking window, but another superb showing (second of two bottles, last tried in 2017) ….95

(…initially I had this as my wine of the lunch but changed my mind to its younger sibling the 2017, but, both were thrilling wines and the top three for the table along with the 2017 Charmes)

1986 Ruchottes Chambertin

Last but not least this mature Grand Cru Rousseau, which came out as very earthy and tertiary initially, with a pronounced funky note, which appeared to me as borderline corky…but rather than go inexorably downhill - as corked wines tend to do - this wine did the opposite: it picked itself up by its bootstraps, and really got in to a nice groove…it was not corked and finished strongly and was a delight to try….93

With apricot souffle...

1990 Ch. d’Yquem

This wine seems to pop up at off lines with alarming frequency…not complaining…its usual brilliant itself….95

[marcs]

so you mean Rousseau isn't just "trading sardines"?

[Nicklasss]

You need golden teeth to drink it!

I have to admit that your report, not including Chambertin or Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze, is very impressive anyway. Confirming Rousseau wines are « up there » with DRC, Leroy, Mugnier and Roumier? If no, very not far, and surely the top in Gevrey Chambertin considering holdings and quality/quantity produced.

Reading that remind me that i’m very sad i can’t afford e »even » village level Bourgogne no more… we have an offer of top Bourgogne at the moment, Arnoux-Lachaux, de Voguë, Leflaive, Méo-Camuzet, all not affordable anymore.

[jckba]

I need more Rousseau for drinking

But more seriously, Ian great notes as always and what a treat to taste Rousseau across multiple decades.