I have long considered the 1996 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Saint-Jacques from Armand Rousseau to be a brilliant wine, though it is a few years since we last met. Here, it had a broody and surprisingly youthful bouquet: dark berry fruit, juniper berries, briary and sous-bois aromas. Captivating...but serious! The palate is medium-bodied with that impressive fruit concentration although it has clearly mellowed in recent years. There remains a firmness and an obduracy, yet also wondrous harmony and compose, almost effortless in nature as it gently fans out on the finish. As I said before, this has a long future. Tasted November 2016.

Light and delicate, with pure raspberry, strawberry and cherry notes, and a smoky, grilled-meat character on the chewy, vanilla-scented finish. Drink now through 2003. 1,165 cases made. -PM