Chambertin Armand Rousseau 2002

Rousseau`s 2002 Chambertin is in the zone. Succulent, racy and open, the 2002 is ready to deliver pleasure. The purity of the fruit alone is striking. Even so, the 2002 is still very much at the early part of its first plateau of maturity, as the flavors remain very bright and fresh. In this vertical, the 2002 comes across as a wine of immediacy, with a bit less structure and overall energy than the very best vintages. I say that with some hesitation, as the 2002 is exceptional. It is just a little less exceptional than a few of the other wines in this vertical. - Antonio Galloni - Deep ruby-red. Subdued but complex aromas of black fruits, licorice, bitter chocolate and fresh herbs. Extremely dense but backward, with superb purity and penetration of black fruits, bitter chocolate and licorice. Wonderfully sweet and aromatic in the mouth, but rather brooding today, and a bit closed in on itself. Very slow-building finish shows substantial but fine tannins and outstanding length. Much less open to inspection today than the Clos de Beze, but I would not be at all surprised if this proved to be the superior bottle 10 or 12 years down the road.