1996 Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques

Domaine Armand Rousseau is a 35-acre estate in Gevrey-Chambertin, in Burgundy. It was founded in the early 20th century by Armand Rousseau who inherited vineyards then added more vineyards through marriage. By the standards of the region, Domaine Rousseau was a pioneer in bottling its own wine. It was bottling under its own name in the 1920s and began exporting. Today the domaine is run by Armand’s son and grandson and exports nearly 80% of the 65,000 bottles a year produced. Grand Crus produced are Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Beze, Ruchottes-Chambertin, Mazy-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin and Clos de Roche. Several Premier Crus are also produced. Clive Coates calls the domaine’s wines “vigorous and very classy…Moreover, they are all quite distinctive, each an expression of its own terroir. This is superb winemaking…”

Clos St. Jacques is a 17.7-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Gevrey-Chambertin appellation of Burgundy. Most Burgundy experts consider Clos St. Jacques to often be of equal quality to the nearby Grand Crus Chambertin and Clos de Beze. When the vineyard rankings were made in the 1930s it was decided that only vineyards contiguous with Chambertin and Clos de Beze could be Grand Crus. Clos St. Jacques lies to the west of the Grand Crus, but is very well situated at the same elevation as Chambertin and it has soil similar to Chambertin’s. Clive Coates notes that Clos St. Jacques “can be exquisite; rich, ample, full-bodied and distinctive.” Principal landowners are Armand Rousseau, 5.6 acres; Sylvie Esmonin, 4.5 acres; and Bruno Clair, 2.5 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.