Domaine Armand Rousseau is one of the pearls of Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy. The domaine holds 15 hectares of vineyards, including two monopoles - Clos des Ruchottes and Clos du Château. The viticulture is close to organic, not certified. Eric Rousseau is responsible for winemaking. His wines are rich, sensual, broad and concentrated, with a generous, muscular profile.

Top wines of Domaine Armand Rousseau are Chambertin Grand Cru, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru and Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru. The Chambertin Grand Cru 2016 scored 98, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru 2020 and Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru 2016 scored 96-98 by the Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker’s tasting notes on the Chambertin Grand Cru 2016: “Tasted from bottle, the 2016 Chambertin Grand Cru claims the place of king of the Rousseau cellar this year, soaring from the glass with a complex bouquet of ripe red berries, cherries and plums, complemented by nuances of blood orange, peonies, raw cocoa, grilled meats and spices. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with terrific concentration, lively acids and a muscular chassis of ripe tannins that's largely concealed by a prodigious core of fruit. Long, sapid and penetrating, like the Clos de Bèze, this will make for fascinating comparisons with its 2015 counterpart in two decades' time.”

All the wines of Domaine Armand Rousseau are from Pinot Noir grapes and from the Gevrey-Chambertin region.

Domaine Armand Rousseau is managed by Eric Rousseau.

The Rousseau family has been working for the vines already for four generations. The history of the domaine goes back to the beginning of the 20th century when Armand Rousseau inherited several vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin. During his lifetime, he has continued to extend the domaine – mainly through purchasing. In 1909, he acquired several additional plots and the domaine’s premises situated in the oldest part of Gevrey-Chambertin. He also acquired Charmes-Chambertin in 1919, Clos de la Roche in 1920, and Chambertin in 1921. At that time, Armand Rousseau sold his wines in barrels directly to the négociants until Raymond Baudoin, founder of “Revue des Vins de France”, proposed to bottle some of the wines for restaurants and private clients. Besides that, Armand Rousseau was selling his wines in the United States in the mid-1930s.

Armand Rousseau continued to expand the estate with regular acquisitions, including Mazy-Chambertin in 1937, Mazoyères Chambertin in 1940, and Clos Saint Jacques in 1954. His son, Charles Rousseau, continued to expand the family business with plots in Clos de Bèze in 1961, Clos de la Roche in 1965 and 1975, and additional plots of Chambertin in 1968 and 1983 and the entire Clos des Ruchottes vineyard in 1978. Charles Rousseau expanded the domaine’s wine distribution throughout Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia in the 1970s.

Since 1982, the domain has been managed by Charles’ son, Eric Rousseau, joined by his daughter, Cyrielle Rousseau.

The viticulture of Domaine Armand Rousseau is close to organic, not certified. Eric Rousseau gained his knowledge of oenology at the University of Dijon.

Eric Rousseau introduced techniques like green harvesting, leaf thinning, mechanical work of the soil without insecticides or chemical additives applied, and working towards more organic principles with minimal intervention.

The harvesting is done manually. Nearly 90 percent of the grapes are destemmed. Afterwards, they are settled in open stainless steel vats for 18-20 days with additional pumping over and punching down and strict temperature control - maximum from 31 to 34°C. After fermentation, the grapes are slightly pressed under a pneumatic press, left for 24 hours and transferred to oak barrels. Followed by maturation, which lasts from 20 to 22 months, malolactic fermentation occurs naturally.

100 percent of new oak is used for two Chambertins and the Clos Saint-Jacques, 30 percent for other grands crus; and for the rest, older barrels are used.

Eric Rousseau prefers delicate filtering of the wines before bottling.