A highly spiced and exceptionally fresh, ripe and airy nose mixes a wide variety of mostly red berry fruit aromas though there are background notes of plum, cassis, lavender and oak. The broad-shouldered flavors possess a seductive texture thanks to the copious amounts of dry extract that push the very firm tannic spine to the background. I very much like the concentration here as well as the vibrancy and this is very, very dry in the best sense of the term, indeed it is presently almost crisp yet the very dense supporting tannins are clearly quite ripe. This should be a fantastic Bèze in time and eventually the 2012 could rank among the great vintages for this storied wine.

Tasted blind at the annual "Burgfest" tasting in Beaune. The 2012 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru has a scintillating, effervescent nose, the new oak beautifully interwoven into the complex red cherry, raspberry and pomegranate scents. There is wonderful definition here. The palate is very well balanced with well judged acidity that cuts a swathe through the structured red berry fruit. This is a serious Clos-de-Bèze reserved for long-term ageing. Quite brilliant.

(100% new oak): Deep, bright red. Aromas of purple fruits, violet, crushed stone, menthol and graphite, with obvious new oak showing today. Savory, chewy and highly concentrated; darker in its fruit character than the Clos-Saint-Jacques, showing flavors of dark berries, violet and licorice. A rather powerful, muscular version of this wine, less floral and exotic than some recent vintages and quite marked by the oak. Finishes tactile and long, with youthfully clenched tannins and a note of chocolatey torrefaction. Incidentally, with the 2013 vintage Rousseau will reduce the percentage of new oak used for the Clos de Beze to 85% or 90%.

Layers of blue/blackish toned fruit, cloves, smoke and licorice from the backdrop for Rousseau's 2012 Chambertin Clos de Beze. There is plenty of Beze explosiveness and structure in the glass to match the wines' brooding personality and persistence.