2002 Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos St Jacques

Burghound Producer note:
Corinne Rousseau calls 2002 a "perfect vintage for Burgundy. There's ripe fruit, balance, perfect ripeness of the tannins and good concentration. It combines the richness of 1999 with the acidity and elegance of 1996; it's a complete vintage. We didn't have to chaptalize any of our wines, not even at the villages level. At the moment, the 2002s are less forward and expressive than the '99s were at the same time but there's an underlying tenderness to the wines and I suspect they will open quickly once they're in bottle. The fruit characteristics are interesting as well and here at the domaine, the 2002s have almost exclusively black fruit aromas. The wines are perhaps less gifted at the level of terroir than the '01s but are certainly superior to the '99s in this respect. By contrast, the '02s are definitely richer than their '01 counterparts and every bit as pure. In short, 2002 is a vintage I like a lot". For readers who may not be aware, the oak regimen chez Rousseau varies considerably, with the Gevrey up though the Mazis being aged in 2 year old wood, the Clos de la Roche and Ruchottes in 15% new wood and the "big three" in 100% new wood. The present plan is to bottle as usual in July though some of the lower level wines might be bottled in May, depending on how the fruit matures.

Allen Meadows' Burghound, January 2004
A background note of new oak frames superbly complex aromatics of ripe and elegant red and black fruit aromas followed by round, dense, mineral-laden flavors that display excellent intensity from the mid-palate all the way to the lengthy backend. This is very sappy and completely coats and stains the palate with dusty tannins and a finish that lasts and lasts. Very impressive. 90-93 Points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Mar/Apr 04
(Like the Chambertin and Clos de Beze, this is aged in 100% new oak) Bright, deep, saturated red. Sexy aromas of red cherry, raspberry, minerals and sweet oak, all lifted by a floral perfume. Wonderfully suave and tangy; offers an uncanny combination of layered texture and precision of flavor, and intensity without excess weight. Highly perfumed in the mouth. You can't make this stuff outside Burgundy Very long and fine on the aftertaste. 92-94 Points

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Mar/Apr 05
($180) Good dark red. Sexy aromas of black raspberry, redcurrant, blueberry, roast coffee and nutty oak. Dense but fine-grained and elegant, with enticing flavors of black raspberry, blueberry, violet and spices. Finishes very long and subtle, with firm tannins and strong spice character. 92(+?) points