2008 Chambertin

Cardamom, fresh ginger, licorice, and rose petal alluringly scent Rousseau’s 2008 Chambertin, contributing complexity to a pure seam of ripe dark cherry and raspberry. There is tenderness to the fruit here and a refinement of texture that are not equaled by the other wines in the present collection. Crushed stone, cherry pit, iodine, and peat lend depth to a long, buoyant finish. Cool, clay-rich soils at the southern edge of this appellation explain the frequently enhanced acidity of his Chambertin, says Eric Rousseau, and I wonder to what extent this location also explains the uncanny sense of lift in the present instance. I suspect this will preserve or even enhance its poise and elegance over the next 12-15 years, but I would not wait more than half a dozen before re-visiting and indeed relishing its company. Eric Rousseau did not begin harvesting until September 28, but was finished already on October 4, with – as usual – the entire burden of selection placed on his pickers. The resultant wines prove that, as he puts it “they know what they’re doing” and sorting tables are unnecessary. Grapes came in between around 12% and 13.2%, were virtually all destemmed, and were only lightly chaptalized. Levels of malic acid were however higher even than in 2004, reports Rousseau, who compares the fruit with that of 1996, but does not finger the wines as strong candidates for long-term aging (“long term” – bear in mind – meaning upwards of 20 years in the context of a Rousseau track-record). When I tasted his 2008s in late February, Rousseau was planning to bottle them in March or April, a bit earlier than usual, although several struck me as relatively unformed. But then, his malos had finished by July – not late in terms of the vintage. (Unfortunately, I had only one chance to taste Rousseau 2007s: fleetingly, selectively, at a stage too early to merit reporting on in detail, although the trend was promising and Rousseau is keen on the results.) David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate # 189

The 2008 Chambertin is rather delicate and almost ethereal in its seductive personality. This is another surprisingly open, expressive 2008. The tannins are elegant, while the wine’s balance is simply terrific. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2038. ||I tasted the following wines with Frederic Robert, who works alongside Eric Rousseau. In 2009 Rousseau and his team began picking on September 7, the earliest in Gevrey. For the first time the estate used 20% whole clusters on all the wines except for Clos de la Roche, which was closer to 15%. The 2009s were scheduled to be bottled in April 2011. I also tasted a handful of 2008s that were deeply impressive. Wine Advocate.May, 2011