2007 Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze Grand Cru

Given the vicissitudes of the 2008 growing season and harvest, the purity and perfume of the new crop of wines here is nothing short of magical. "We try to be organic," Eric Rousseau told me, "but we had no choice but to use some chemicals in 2008 due to the outbreak of oidium in some of our grand crus, especially in Clos de la Roche." There was then a strict sorting of the fruit in the vines at harvest-time to eliminate rotten and pink grapes, as the estate does not own a sorting table. Fruit sugars were in the healthy 11.5% to 13% (Clos de Beze) range, and acids were high. In fact, said Rousseau, the numbers were similar to those of 1996, but yields were much higher in '96 (in 2008 they averaged only 30 hectoliters per hectare). Rousseau believes that there's a slight disequilibrium between the acids and tannins of the wines and their density of material. He expressed the opinion that the balance of the wines will be better in the early going and in the mid term than after long aging. At the same time, he told me that 2008 has more acidity and tannin than his 2006s, with similar purity. In fact, he also prefers 2007 to 2006 for its greater density.

Eric Rousseau made it clear that he considers 2007 superior to 2006. "The wines have more material and density and beautiful purity of fruit, not to mention excellent balance," he told me. He noted that he normally finds his Lavaux Saint-Jacques and Mazy-Chambertin to be the disappointing wines in the context of his cellar, but not in 2007. Crop levels ranged between 30 and 38 hectoliters per hectare in 2007 and 2006 (Rousseau typically leaves seven bunches per vine when he green-harvests), and he tossed out roughly the same percentage of rotten grapes in both years, eliminating this fruit in the vineyard rather than on a sorting table. The malos took place during the first three months of 2008 and the wines were racked in September.