Chambertin, Domaine Armand Rousseau 1983

(Chambertin Grand Cru, Domaine Armand Rousseau, Red) Famously flawed at the outset by hail and rot – sufficiently so that at least one UK importer returned the wine to the domaine – the 1983 wines from Rousseau (and they are not alone) subsequently turned a corner. The fruit quality seems to have succeeded in eating up the flavours of the rot. The colour is now a clear bright orange-red. The first nose seemed a little sharp, but it did not take long for a more classic perfume to take over. The hail and the rot have been vanquished, and the tougher aspects of this wine has been shrugged off. It holds up really well in the glass, showing even more perfume 30 minutes after opening.