Chantal Lescure

Short Summary

When established Burgundy domaines change hands through a generational handoff or an outside purchase, it’s exciting to see where things go. But when someone like Éric Rousseau of Domaine Armand Rousseau acquires a new domaine, it’s hard for any Burgundy lover to ignore. Éric Rousseau and his business partner, Jean-Philippe Girard, acquired this longtime organic and biodynamic domaine of 19 hectares spread across some important areas of Burgundy. Cooler exposures and deeper soils that could’ve once been seen as liabilities don’t look quite so bad anymore, and these are among the domaine’s strengths. Many of the holdings sit in Pommard and Nuits-Saint-Georges, appellations that continue to become more interesting as climate change opens and softens what were once often known to be harder wines. But Éric hasn’t come in trying to make another Armand Rousseau; he’s appointed Fabrice Groussin, a former Monthélie-based régisseur at Domaine Changarnier, and given him considerable freedom in the vineyards and cellar. Their shared ambition is of finesse and elegance. Fabrice grew up in a farming family in Charentes and studied viticulture and oenology in Bordeaux, but today his cellar collaboration with Éric intentionally leans toward a gentle approach. The whites are made in a very straightforward way, and the reds see about 15 to 25% whole-cluster, infusion-style extractions, longer macerations to move away from too much upfront fruit, and increasingly less new wood than their predecessor to highlight natural nuances. They have wonderful holdings used throughout the range, heavy in Pommard and Nuits-Saint-Georges, including Nuits-Saint-Georges “Les Damodes,” Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Suchots and the Grand Cru, Clos Vougeot. This is an exciting domaine to watch.

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