Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils

Whether you call them “legendary,” “mythical,” or “unicorn,” these words all apply when speaking of the Pinot Noirs of Domaine Armand Rousseau. Their secret? Farming some of the finest, old-vine holdings in the Côte de Nuits (eight of their 15 ha are designated grand crus!), coupled with superb, non-interventionist winemaking. Sure, there are many who boast the two, but only a rare few can reach such gustatory perfection as consistently—particularly in Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey St-Denis.

Eric Rousseau and his daughter, Cyrielle, have taken the property to new heights with an earnest dedication to sustainable agriculture, including seasonal plowing, a strict green harvest and leaf-thinning. In the cellar, the father-daughter duo de-stem 90% of their fruit for aromatic intensity, macerate for 18 days, then press and rack the grapes gently by gravity, fermenting them “low and slow.” They then age the wines with a judicious use of new oak, producing some of the most succulent and structured Pinot Noirs we’ve tasted.