One of Burgundy's greatest producers
Armand Rousseau is one of the greatest domaines in Burgundy. It is impossible to talk about Gevrey-Chambertin without mentioning this Rousseau. In Burgundy in the early 18th century, fraudulent blending was rampant by unscrupulous négociants. In the 1930s, Mr. Armand Rousseau formed an organization with d'Angelville, Gouges, Grivot and others to realize the bottling, which was considered a taboo in business practice. This greatly contributed to quality improvement. Mr. Charles, the second generation, expanded his farmland from 6ha in 1959 to 14ha. Today, Armand's grandson Eric manages the vineyard and cellar.
More than half of the owned fields are Grand Cru! Cultivation using reduced pesticide methods
It is wonderful that Grand Cru occupies 8ha, more than half of the property. For Domaine Armand Rousseau, winemaking is ``not something that expresses the characteristics of the appellation, but something that speaks to the soil.'' As if to embody these words, we have not used fertilizers for the past 20 years in order to rely on the natural power of the soil. A few years ago, I switched to Rutte Raisonné, and I have been using traditional pesticides such as Bordeaux liquid and sulfur. Yield can be kept to 25-35hl/ha by annual budding and bunching. It is also known for its early harvest compared to other producers, and it is harvested when it is ripe and has the best aroma and flavor.
Style is not what you aim for, but what terroir gives you.
The work in the cellar has not changed much since then. Basically, 90% of the grapes are destemmed, the temperature is lowered to 15 degrees, and then fermentation begins. Fermentation and brewing takes 18 to 20 days at temperatures of up to 30 to 35 degrees. Both pigeage and remontage are performed. The wine is then transferred to barrels, with a fixed proportion of new barrels used for each wine. Chambertin and Clos de Baise are made from 100% new barrels. Other special vineyards are used depending on the characteristics of the wine. Depending on the year, the color may be lighter, but by leaving the extraction to nature, it is said that the true terroir can be expressed. “The wines of Burgundy are powerful and complex, finessed and noble. Each wine from its own terroir has its own individuality, which we understand and share with those who love it.” It's something you take off. Style is not something you aspire to, it's the terroir that gives you it."
