Rousseau Clos de la Roche 2017

96 points Tim Atkin, MW (Decanter): "'Muscular' is how Cyrielle Rousseau describes her Clos de la Roche, made from two parcels - one high and one low - that total 1.48ha, with some parts over a century old. Everything is relative, of course, because this isn't an especially tannic wine, although it certainly has good intensity. It's sappy, subtly oaked and refined with succulent bramble and black cherry fruit. 2025-2032. (Nov 2018)"

93-96 points Fine Wine Review: "The Clos de la Roche is spicy and stony in the nose. The mouth is smooth with dark fruits, but as with most 2017s from Clos de la Roche that I tasted, the normal tension is lacking. Still, this wine is outstanding and features excellent depth and concentration. (3/18/19)"

92-95 points Jasper Morris, MW: "Fine mid purple, good depth and serenity on the nose, understated but waiting. The palate shows a remarkable depth of fruit, more than expected with the blueberry notes and a refreshing point of acidity. (Nov 2018)"

94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2017 Clos de la Roche from Domaine Rousseau is another absolutely beautiful bottle in the making, with more early sex appeal on display than in either the Charmes or Mazy this year. The pure and seductive nose delivers a beautiful constellation of sappy red plums, cherries, raw cocoa, gamebird, a very complex base of soil, woodsmoke, a touch of violet and a discreet base of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, sappy and soil-driven, with beautifully fine-grained tannins, great focus and balance, exceptional complexity and grip and a very, very long and velvety finish. I love the lift here on the backend! 2027-2075. (Nov/Dec 2018)"

92-94 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from a 1.48 ha holding, 1 ha of which is in Les Fremières and the rest in Clos de la Roche proper). An overtly floral and markedly earthy nose is quite restrained if exceptionally pretty with its cool array of red and blue pinot fruit scents laced with hints of leather and herbal tea. There is terrific vibrancy to the slightly more muscular large-scaled flavors that culminate in a linear and beautifully delineated finish that really firms up as it sits on the palate. This taut, youthfully austere and very serious effort is very much built-to-age and is going to need at least half a dozen years to unwind and 20+ to reach its full potential. Drink: 2037+. (Jan 2019)"

92-94 points Neal Martin (Vinous) "The 2017 Clos de la Roches Grand Cru, which is tasted from two barrels since one is reduced, has a well defined bouquet with brambly red fruit, candied orange peel, hints of cassis and later, vanilla pod. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, slightly sorbet in character with hints of mulberry and fig towards the complex and quite persistent finish. One of the more cerebral Clos de la Roche releases from Domaine Rousseau. Drink: 2022-2040. (Jan 2019)

18.5+/20 points Jancis Robinson: "Very slightly smoky but there’s still fine dark-red fruits showing through. There’s just a touch of vanilla sweetness as it opens. Delicate with the freshness I associate with stems (though it is fully destemmed). Complex to describe because there is incredible finesse in the tannins but they are very present, very direct. There’s a rocky, almost bitter finish that says ‘stay away’ and underneath it all is a river of fine dark fruit. Drink: 2027-2042. (1/21/19)"