2022 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

As usual, the 2022 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is more flamboyant than the Chambertin, wafting from the glass with aromas of smoky dark berries, cherries, baking spices, rose petals and raw cocoa. Full-bodied, rich and enveloping, with a broad attack that segues into a deep, layered mid-palate that's framed by powdery tannins and lively acids, it concludes with a long, saline finish. The 2022 growing season chez Armand Rousseau was marked by a torrential rainstorm in June that flooded the domaine's cellar and caused appreciable erosion in the vineyards, in particular in the Clos Saint-Jacques. But that rain surely also helped prevent any hydric stress in July and August. Harvest here began on August 31, delivering a good crop of classically proportioned wines that, at this early stage, have more in common with the suave and charming 2017s than with more dense and brooding vintages, such as 2018 or 2020.(WK)

Note: 1.42 ha; 100% new wood where the inside of the barrel had been steam washed first. As is often the case, this possesses the spiciest nose in the range with its perfumed and airy array of red and blue pinot fruit, exotic tea, star anise and discreet floral nuances, all of which is trimmed in moderate wood. The big-bodied flavors possess excellent density with a texture that is perhaps even finer than that of the Chambertin while delivering equally fine persistence. This is a seriously classy Bèze with the potential to deliver 15 to 20 years of upside development. Brilliant.*Burghound Don't Miss!*