2013 Domaine Armand Rousseau, Chambertin-Clos de Beze Grand Cru

Another striking wine, the 2013 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze is beautifully layered and expressive today. Violets, lavender, dark spices, mint and new leather meld together as this striking, translucent wine shows off its unmistakable personality. This is an especially refined Bèze with perhaps a bit less power than is customary, but that is not at all a bad thing. As always, the new oak (80%) is quite evident today, but that should not be an issue, as I can't imagine opening a bottle of the 2013 before its tenth birthday, and even that will be too soon for the wine to deliver the full breadth of its pedigree.

Subtle if not invisible wood serves as a backdrop for the mildly reduced nose so again do yourself a favor and decant this if you're going to crack one before 2020 or so. There is knock-out intensity to the gorgeously textured and mineral-inflected flavors that are imposingly scaled yet there is not even a hint of heaviness on the restrained, delineated and explosively long and mouth coating finale. This is a breathtakingly robust and powerful Bèze that is going to require all of 20 years to reach it zenith. Drink 2033+.

– Burghound.com, Issue 61. Tasted: Jan 2016

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru was showing some reduction on the nose that was difficult to shake off, though there appears to be sufficient fruit underneath. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a more conservative Clos de Bèze in some ways, but it demonstrates impressive precision as it fans out with gusto towards the finish. Give this 5-6 years in bottle to address the reduction issue and then I believe this will turn into an exemplary Grand Cru. Tasted September 2016.

(this was the first vineyard picked in 2013): Bright, deep ruby-red. Very ripe, almost exotic aromas of black fruits, coffee and violet. Sappy and palate-staining, displaying terrific chewy density and a sweetness that goes beyond the other 2013s at this address. Notes of oak and licorice add interest to the dark berry and black cherry flavors. The fruit here is bulletproof.