Chambertin Clos de Bèze, Domaine Armand Rousseau 2015

Once again the wood treatment is in evidence but it's by no means intrusive as it easily allows for the clear expression of the plum, black cherry, lavender, violet and tea aromas. The exceptionally rich and impressively dense broad-shouldered flavors also exhibit excellent minerality and almost as much power on the massively long finish. As is usually the case when one compares these two wines, this is finer and offers a distinctly different expression than the Chambertin. The Bèze typically shows a bit better and more completely young and then after 15 to 20 years the Chambertin often surpasses it. Which you will like better is often very much a question of preference but in 2015 the Chambertin appears to hold the slightest of edges. Time will of course tell but it would be fair to observe that they both possess enormous development potential.

The 2015 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru is spectacular, wafting from the glass with a dramatic bouquet of sweet grilled meat, red and black fruit, candied peel and rich soil. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, ample and powerful, with a lavishly gourmand attack that evokes the 2009 rendition, but this quickly segues into the mid-palate of an altogether more tautly structural, serious wine, its considerable dimension and concentration underwritten by racy acids. The finish is long and firm. This is a monumental Clos de Bèze built for the long haul.

Once again the wood treatment is in evidence but it's by no means intrusive as it easily allows for the clear expression of the plum, black cherry, lavender, violet and tea aromas. The exceptionally rich and impressively dense broad-shouldered flavors also exhibit excellent minerality and almost as much power on the massively long finish. As is usually the case when one compares these two wines, this is finer and offers a distinctly different expression. The Bèze typically shows a bit better and more completely young and then after 15 to 20 years the Chambertin often surpasses it. Which you will like better is often very much a question of preference but in 2015 they appear, at least at this very early stage, to be qualitatively similar. Time will of course tell but it would be fair to observe that they both possess enormous development potential.