2005 Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux St Jacques

Rousseau’s 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.-Jacques (from vines in their forties, like so many in this estate) exhibits aromas and flavors of red currant and cherry pits, minty, high-toned herbal notes, and a lovely dynamic of fresh fruit and creaminess of texture. Invigorating juiciness, savory meatiness and salty, chalky mineral character mark a finish of clarity, depth and polish. (The spicy, stony, meaty 2004 rendition, incidentally, is scarcely less successful in its own distinctive way.) With Eric Rousseau taking over increasingly from his father Charles, bottling may end up being slightly earlier than in the past, but such routine features as triage exclusively in the vineyards (not the press house), the inclusion of whole clusters and stems, precocious malolactic fermentation (although in 2005 and 2006, at least, Rousseau says he didn’t force this), reliance on older barrels, and an eventual light plaque filtration for all wines remain as before. Given the long-running success of these Pinots in subtly yet insistently conveying the distinct personalities of their sites and standing the test of time, some might well ask “why change the recipe?” while others will wonder whether the wines could be made even better. In any event, nature conspired to hand the new generation a vintage of historic dimensions.

Rousseau’s 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.-Jacques (from vines in their forties, like so many in this estate) exhibits aromas and flavors of red currant and cherry pits, minty, high-toned herbal notes, and a lovely dynamic of fresh fruit and creaminess of texture. Invigorating juiciness, savory meatiness and salty, chalky mineral character mark a finish of clarity, depth and polish. (The spicy, stony, meaty 2004 rendition, incidentally, is scarcely less successful in its own distinctive way.) With Eric Rousseau taking over increasingly from his father Charles, bottling may end up being slightly earlier than in the past, but such routine features as triage exclusively in the vineyards (not the press house), the inclusion of whole clusters and stems, precocious malolactic fermentation (although in 2005 and 2006, at least, Rousseau says he didn’t force this), reliance on older barrels, and an eventual light plaque filtration for all wines remain as before. Given the long-running success of these Pinots in subtly yet insistently conveying the distinct personalities of their sites and standing the test of time, some might well ask “why change the recipe?” while others will wonder whether the wines could be made even better. In any event, nature conspired to hand the new generation a vintage of historic dimensions.

Good full red. Cherry and minerals on the nose, with hints of licorice and pepper. Offers a restrained sweetness and modest flesh. Has a chewiness but also a slight medicinal quality and some dusty tannins. This "colder" terroir retained good acidity in 2005, noted Eric Rousseau, who added that his 2005s showed harder tannins before the racking but are silkier today.