Wine Guide
Producers
Domaine Armand Rousseau
In the labyrinthine world of investable Burgundy wine, you would be excused for not knowing where to put your money. Should you go for Dugat-Py, Georges de Vogue or Faiveley? Or just bite the bullet and invest in Romanee Conti (although at over €23,000 a bottle for the 2016 vintage you might need to bite hard). Well, yes to all of the above. But there is a strong case for Domaine Armand Rousseau too. In fact, if you are looking for a titan of a wine both on your table or in your portfolio, Armand Rousseau is it.
“It often pays to buy the producer first and the vintage second”
In fact, when it comes to Burgundy wine and notably the Chambertin and Clos de Beze vineyards, it has been said that “that there is Rousseau, and then there are the rest”. A fine 14-hectare estate with no less than half of those dedicated to their seven Grands Crus, Armand Rousseau is something of a giant among men. Of the 11 wines in total, all benefit from old vines, up to 60-years in some cases and only replanted where necessary every generation. Yields are very, very low - frustratingly so if you are looking to get a bottle on the open market, as the wines tend to be allocated rather than sold.
A rising star
However, perfection does come at a price; a 2009 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru was selling at around €1,800 in 2018. The stellar prices are worth it though, particularly from an investment point of view. The vineyard gained 10 places in two years in the Liv-ex 1000 (up from 29th place to 19th), and rose an astonishing 84.5% from 2012 to 2017. In the Burgundy wine sub-category, the vineyard was placed in 5th place in 2019. These figures place it comfortably alongside Romanée-Conti, Leflaive, Jacques Prieur, plus a small handful of names that are the stuff of Burgundy legend.

Data shows that prices have steadily risen over the past 10 years, and do not show any sign of slowing down. The lack of product coupled with the outstanding quality make Armand Rousseau very covetable indeed.
Notable facts and vintages
  • “This much is sure: The best among six grands crus and three premier crus chez Rousseau (meaning above all their Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Beze, Gevrey—Chambertin Clos St. Jacques, Ruchottes-Chambertin, and Clos de la Roche) are icons of the Burgundy wine terroir,” proclaims Robert in Parker Wine Guide.
  • Four of the six Burgundy wines to make Liv-ex’s 2017 best price performers list were from Armand Rousseau. The best performer was Rousseau’s 2005 Chambertin, which went up 97% from €17,600 a case to €35,000 over the course of 2017.
  • The 2007 and 2008 Chambertin were also up 85% and 74% respectively and the 2012 Clos St Jacques rose 79% in price.
  • As a result of a strange bacteria or enzyme in the cellar Armand Rousseau’s 1978s and 1979s are not up to scratch.