2005 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

Good full red. Briary raspberry, dark cherry and menthol on the nose, along with a medicinal reserve. Powerful and thick on entry, then quite closed, even medicinal, in the middle, without the exotic character that this cuvee often shows in the early going. Quite closed today but this utterly seamless, superrich wine boasts superb structure and grip. Wonderfully long and pure on the back end, with strong but perfectly integrated acidity. Give this impeccably balanced wine 12 years.

A positively kaleidoscopic nose features a wonderful panoply of spice and fruit aromas that offer something new and different with every sniff. The rich, full and utterly classic flavors are a study of the harmonious liaison of refinement and power that culminate in an explosive and driving finish that is even longer than that of the Clos St. Jacques yet it sacrifices nothing in terms of balance, harmony or transparency. A strikingly good wine packed with upside potential. While pronouncements of this sort are always fraught, it's possible that the 2005 Bèze could one day rival the best Rousseau Bèze ever (in my view), which is the legendary 1962. Time will tell but it at least has a shot.

Real mass and density here. Absolutely classic, solid, dry, sappy, savoury burgundy in one of its longest-living registers. Solid Gevrey charge of chewable fruit – nothing sweet and beguiling about this! It’s almost self-consciously ponderous, in fact. This wine pronounces rather than tries to charm – surprisingly expressive already. Big! (JR)