Rousseau’s 2005 Clos de la Roche offers a nose of ripe cherries, cedar and brown spices, a rich and expansive palate, and a sweet, pure, juicy finish of cherry, boysenberry, toasty, crusty pastry, hints of caramel, a whiff of wood smoke and a lick of salt. For purity of fruit and intensity allied to formidable extract and superb, lattice-like structure, it’s hard to beat this wine as a candidate for at least a couple of decades in the cellar, one to check up on in eight or ten years. 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. Importer: Frederic Wildman & Sons, New York, NY; tel. (212) 355-0700

Good full, bright red. Reticent but pure aromas of kirsch, licorice and minerals. Bright, firm black cherry flavor shows less early sweetness than the Mazy. A bit dominated today by its rather powerful structure; very much a wine for extended cellaring.

Extremely rich and seductive on both the eye and nose. Wonderfully satisfying and balanced in terms of perfume already. Great freshness and clarity of fruit. Really quite racy and punchy. So pure! The opposite of galumphing – like a thoroughbred racehorse. Fresh, sappy fruit. Terribly impressive. Drink: 2015 to 2032
-12 Aug 2007 by JR