Domaine Armand Rousseau’s Chambertin Grand Cru 2018 is a Pinot Noir from Gevrey-Chambertin’s most prestigious slope, made by one of the Côte de Nuits’ benchmark, multi-generation family estates. In a warm, ripe year, reviewers consistently describe a wine that combines concentration with freshness, and structure with polish.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (97, Sept. 30, 2021) highlights its range and savory complexity, citing “red berries, plums, rose petals and orange rind,” grounded by “rich, loamy soil” and “smoked meats.” On the palate it is “full-bodied, deep and multidimensional,” finishing “long” and “resonant,” and the magazine calls it “a brilliant wine” that should be “forget[ten] for at least a decade.”
Vinous delivers one of the strongest verdicts (98, Nov. 1, 2022), praising a “very intense, brilliantly-defined bouquet with laser-like precision” and “perfectly integrated oak.” The note also flags its current reserve—“biding its time”—before concluding: “a fabulous Chambertin… Effortless.” (Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2018 red tasting.)
Decanter (96, Oct. 20, 2019) provides useful production detail: Rousseau’s Chambertin holdings are “four parcels covering 2.5ha,” and in 2018 there were “40 barrels… all of them new because ‘it needs them to develop’,” according to Cyrielle Rousseau. Decanter finds it “refined, even patrician,” with “subtle cinnamon spice,” “racy acidity,” and “layers of raspberry and wild strawberry,” adding that it is “denser and more powerful than it appears.”
Burghound (97, Jan. 10, 2021) calls the complexity “stunning,” noting “fresh and airy aromas of red cherry, pomegranate, earth,” and a finish marked by “energy,” mineral drive, and “youthful austerity,” with long aging ahead. Jasper Morris (97, Sept. 1, 2022) similarly emphasizes mass and balance, recommending patience—“Drink from 2036.” John Gilman (97+, Nov. 1, 2019) underscores its early flamboyance and depth, calling it “great juice” with “stunning length and grip.”
Across the board, the 2018 reads as a high-class, long-lived Chambertin with unusually clear definition for its scale—and several excellent reviews to match.
