2009 Domaine Armand Rousseau, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, Clos Saint-Jacques 1x75cl

Neal Martin 91

Given the year, a couple of special bottles were necessary. First up was my last bottle of 2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau. I had not tasted this particular wine since I encountered it from barrel. Back then, I was not quite as enamored of it as I expected, partly because the nuances of the terroir are obscured by the warmth of the growing season. Now, with a few years on the clock, I still believe that it is a good rather than great Clos Saint-Jacques. Powerful scents of red cherries, licorice and allspice feature on the nose, which does not quite achieve the delineation of the best examples I have tasted. Likewise, the palate is delicious as a Pinot Noir but falls short of evincing Clos Saint-Jacques as a Grand Cru in all but name. Presenting soft red berry fruit, hints of sage and bay leaf, it comes across more sinewy than other vintages, with a touch of meat juices on the finish. It is certainly drinking now and should give another decade of pleasure at this level, but Eric Rousseau and now his daughter Cyrielle have made better Clos Saint-Jacques. [Neal Martin, 15/01/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2021-2035

Wine Advocate 92

The 2009 Clos St. Jacques is a rich, deeply pitched wine built on a serious core of dark red fruit, menthol, spices and licorice. Readers won’t find much of the early appeal of 2009 here, rather this is a wine built for the cellar. Layers of flavor build to a huge finish supported by considerable tannin. This intense, powerful wine is going to require quite a bit of patience. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029. Importer: Frederic Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700 [Antonio Galloni, 30/04/2012]

Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029

Antonio Galloni 92

The 2009 Clos St. Jacques is a rich, deeply pitched wine built on a serious core of dark red fruit, menthol, spices and licorice. Readers won’t find much of the early appeal of 2009 here, rather this is a wine built for the cellar. Layers of flavor build to a huge finish supported by considerable tannin. This intense, powerful wine is going to require quite a bit of patience. [Antonio Galloni, 04/01/2012]

Anticipated maturity: 2019-2029

Vinous 94

(aged in 75% new oak, vs. 15% for the Clos des Ruchottes and 0% for the preceding wines; the Clos de Beze and Chambertin here always get 100% new oak): Good full, deep red. Lovely tangy perfume of cherry, raspberry, red licorice, fresh herbs, rose petal and spicy oak. Dense, sweet and fine, with an obvious new oak element nicely carried by the wine’s concentration of fruits and flowers. Offers an uncanny combination of seamless texture and power. Most impressive today on the firmly structured, slowly building finish, which features fine-grained tannins and a complex saline and spice perfume. A beauty. [Stephen Tanzer, 03/01/2012]