Love the body, depth, and flavor — 10 days ago
1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
Clos de la Roche, situated in Morey-Saint-Denis, is the most renowned and the largest Grand Cru vineyard of the village. Its terroir is consequently exceptional, yielding wines with striking acidity, remarkable concentration, and a structure that is powerful yet displays extraordinarily refined tannins. It is often considered one of Burgundy's most compelling wines, masterfully combining power with elegance.
The style neither mirrors the robust, muscular, and overtly powerful character typical of its northern neighbour, Gevrey-Chambertin, nor does it precisely replicate the extreme perfume, elegance, and delicacy that define its southern neighbour, Chambolle-Musigny. Instead, Clos de la Roche is the quintessential synthesis of strength and finesse—boasting a solid backbone alongside intricate depth of aroma and texture. Thanks to its pronounced acidity, one should not open a bottle without allowing for at least 15 years of ageing.
Upon opening, after 30 minutes the nose offered aromas of ripe black cherry, wild strawberry, sour plum, rose, and violet. After an hour, further notes of truffle, forest floor, leather, and spice developed. However, the minerality I expected remained elusive.
The bottle's condition was unfortunately not optimal. It lacked the sustained aromatic evolution and explosive bouquet I had anticipated. This fatigue and muted character were likely a result of its shipment from the United States. — 2 months ago
Nose: darker Syrah fruit. Bit of sauvage. Lilacs.
Palate: licorice. Good acidity. Pretty acidic.
Planetwine — 5 months ago
Consistently good everyday wine dinner — 23 days ago
Warm, juicy. Lots of fruit. A hint of overripe fruit. A touch of coconut. — 2 months ago
Nice complement for both the chicken Marsala and the ribeye. — 3 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz
Clear, deep ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of blackberries, black cherries, and wood smoke; on the palate, dry with high acidity, high tannins, high alcohol, full body, and pronounced intensity primary and secondary flavors of black currants, red bell peppers, black pepper, and crushed gravel with a long finish. This wine is intense and complex, but a little high in alcohol. Overall, I rate this wine as very good. It may need a little more time to open up. — 13 days ago