Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2009

WA94: The 2009 Clos de la Roche is so beautiful today I could hardly blame anyone who chooses to enjoy this superb wine in its youth. Silky tannins frame an expressive core of fruit in this perfumed, polished Burgundy. The 2009 is quite a bit more floral and higher-toned than the 2010, perhaps because of the greater use of whole clusters during fermentation. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029.

VM91: Medium pale red. Cool, nuanced nose offers black cherry, blackberry, mocha, licorice, wildflowers and illegal herbs. Supple and fine-grained on entry, then more tightly knit in the middle than the Mazy, with good penetration to its dark fruit, herb and licorice flavors. The darkest, coolest and most medicinal of the 2009s I samped from Rousseau. Finishes with suave, dusty tannins and lovely persistence.