Armand Rousseau

The Estate was established early this century by Armand Rousseau, in his majority, inherited several plots of vines located in the commune of Gevrey-Chambertin. Armand Rousseau came from a family of small landowners formed the majority of winemakers, coopers and wine merchants. His marriage in 1909 to help develop the area's vineyards and develop sales of its wines through the provision of additional vineyards and buildings (cellar and winery). And at the place where now stands the Domaine is to say, in the oldest part of the village at the foot of the church of the 13th century.

Armand Rousseau began marketing its first wines in bulk from regional traders. Then very quickly he learns new parcels of vines most prestigious in 1919 Charmes-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche and Chambertin in 1920 and 1921, and decided to sell its bottled Crus most renowned in addressing a customer restaurants and individuals, led by Raymond Baldwin, the founder of the Revue du Vin de France.

Over the years, it continues to expand its estate with the purchase of Grands Crus, now classified in 1935 during the creation of the Institute of Appellations of Origin, Mazy-Chambertin, 1937 Chambertin Mazoyères in 1940 (marketed as Charmes-Chambertin), Chambertin in 1943 and 1956. Clos St. Jacques was acquired in 1954 on behalf of his son Charles, who, after completing high school and conventional courses in Law and Enology at the University of Dijon, joined his father in 1945 to manage the Domain family.

In 1959, following the death of Armand Rousseau in an automobile accident a return to hunting, Charles Rousseau is at the head of a 6 ha area he will continue to develop rapidly thanks to its know-how and acquiring new vineyards, primarily in the Grands Crus, several parcels of Chambertin Clos de Beze in 1961, 1989 and 1992, Clos des Ruchottes in Monopoly in 1977, and Chambertin in 1983, 1990 and 1993

Fluent in English and German, he decided to turn primarily on exports, and, after the United States where his father had already begun marketing its wines in the wake of prohibition in the late 1930s, he developed the first trade with Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland, then expands its marketing throughout Europe, and then to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and finally in Asia in the 1970s.

During all these years, while maintaining a culture method and traditional methods of vinification, Charles Rousseau acquires as and when needs modern equipment and machinery more efficient.

In the early 1980s, two vaulted cellars are dug to increase the storage capacity required for the acquisition of additional vineyards, a cellar and barrel aging cellar aging in bottles.

At the same time, his son Eric, after attending school at the Lycee Agricole and Wine Macon Davayé and a year of specialization in Oenology at the University of Dijon, where he joined auDomaine family deals in particular viticulture and winemaking, Domaine orienting towards viticulture while maintaining a wine-conventional.

From 1993 to 2005, Corinne, the eldest daughter of Charles Rousseau, joined the Domain.

With several years experience in export, in France and abroad, and after training in enology at the University of Dijon, it is insured commercial relations with customers and tastings in the cellar.

During the summer of 1996, the winery is already fully equipped with stainless steel tanks, is enlarged and enhanced to allow the use of a dual tire treading. That same year also dug one second cellar for aging wine in bottles.

In 1999 and 2001, two new facilities are acquired: a pneumatic press and a stemmer for a more delicate handling of the grapes without crushing the berries.

The winery was again renovated in 2002 and 2004, with the installation of air conditioning which was needed to make wine grapes in optimum conditions, then the ground has been completely redone in resin and painted the walls a lovely cream-colored two-tone raspberry for better hygiene and easier cleaning.

For the vineyard, a new straddle is acquired in winter 2004, in addition to two others already possessed. In fact, each piece of raw is plowed deeply several times a year. Since 2004 services are plowing with a horse used for a vineyard in Chambertin, which is very steep.

The field

Currently, the estate covers an area of ​​13 hectares, 70, of which 2 ha 21 Appellation Village, 47 3 ha Premier Cru Appellation and 8 hectares of Appellation Grand Cru 01, located on the territories of Gevrey- Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis.
The average age of the vines is quite high, about 40 to 45, with 100% grape varieties Pinot Black, and a density of 11,000 vines per hectare.
The selections used are clones selected for their low production and concentration.

The simple Guyot is practiced throughout the vineyard, situated on hillsides and exposed to the east on clay and limestone.
The method of cultivation of vines is traditional, with yields of 30-40 hectoliters per hectare. No fertilizer is used for many years. A trend to organic pest management is practiced throughout the vineyard. Duplication of buds and green grapes are systematically performed during years of strong production in order to optimize the maturity of clustering and concentration of phenolic compounds.

The wine is made in open vats, with a 90% partial stalking, a long fermentation, about 18 days in stainless steel vats with punching down and pumping at regular intervals, and a temperature of 31 ° to 34 ° C. The fermentation is complete, the wines are gently pressed in a pneumatic press, racked 24 hours, then transferred by gravity in the cellar, in oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation takes place naturally.

The wine is aged in oak barrels 100% new for the Chambertin and Chambertin Clos de Beze. Clos St. Jacques is placed in new oak barrels between 70% and 100% depending on the vintage. All other fine wines are aged in a wine barrel. The drums come from forests of Allier and burning is moderate. The duration of the breeding is 20 months during which two withdrawals are made.
The bottling takes place usually in April after a light filtration on a clean plate to preserve the delicate fruit of Pinot Black.
The bet is made by gravity directly drums after assembly.
The average production is 65,000 bottles per year.
The marketing of various vintages at Domaine is about 80% of export where the wines are present in about thirty countries. In France, they are for individuals and some wine shops, restaurants and major stars.

Source: La revue du vin de France

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