The ‘17 Clos de La Roche Grand Cru.

Drinking window

Tasting note

Domaine Armand Rousseau is the reference point for all Burgundy, the producer against which every other Pinot Noir in the world is implicitly measured, and the Clos de la Roche holding in Morey-Saint-Denis gives the estate access to one of the Cote de Nuits's most powerful and complex grand cru terroirs. The 2017 vintage from this exceptional site is a wine of medium to full-bodied grace and persistent mineral depth. The nose opens with brambly red fruit: fresh blackberry and tart red cherry provide the primary aromatic foundation, alongside candied orange peel that adds a surprising citrus brightness and violet that lifts the bouquet and gives it the characteristic Rousseau perfume. Hints of cassis add depth and a darker fruit dimension beneath the brighter fruit. On the palate the wine is structured and focused, the fine-grained tannins providing backbone and discipline without harshness. The acidity is bright and well-integrated, and the finish is persistent and minerally, carrying the fruit and a complex earthy undertone through an extended conclusion that confirms the wine's grand cru status. The wine repays contemplative tasting and develops beautifully in the glass over time, with aromatic complexity emerging progressively as the temperature rises slightly and the wine breathes.

The 2017 vintage

The 2017 vintage in Morey-Saint-Denis and the broader Cote de Nuits was a warm, early-harvesting year that brought full phenolic ripeness to the Pinot Noir without the excessive concentration that can sometimes flatten the terroir character of the finest sites. For Clos de la Roche, whose volcanic clay and limestone soils adjacent to Chambertin to the north have always produced wines of power and minerality, the 2017 conditions yielded fruit of excellent depth and complexity while retaining the site's characteristic structural integrity. Rousseau's precise winemaking amplified the vintage's natural quality into a grand cru of genuine longevity and class.

About Domaine Armand Rousseau

Domaine Armand Rousseau is universally regarded as Burgundy's benchmark producer, with holdings in Chambertin, Clos de Beze, Clos Saint-Jacques, and numerous other grands and premiers crus that consistently represent the appellation's finest expression. The estate's philosophy, maintained across generations of the Rousseau family, combines rigorous vineyard management with the lightest possible winemaking touch, allowing the individual character of each site to speak clearly through the finished wine. The Clos de la Roche holding is relatively modest in size but produces wines that consistently rank among the estate's finest and most age-worthy expressions.

From the cellar: pair with

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• Aging Burgundy Pinot

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• When to drink wine

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