Domaine Armand Rousseau - Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Clos St-Jacques' - 1996

The 1996 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques 1er Cru, at 25 years old, offers dark cherries and bay leaf, traits I have noticed before, but here I found a touch of Earl Grey and, with aeration, a heightened marine/oyster shell scent. The palate is beautifully balanced and still exudes wonderful, life-affirming transparency. A little rugged on the finish, like most of Rousseau’s 1996s, but fresh as a daisy and so sapid. What more could I want from this Rousseau, except a market price that does not oblige secretly selling my daughter’s entire collection of ultra-rare Pokémon cards on eBay? - Tasted April 2021 95 Points Neal Martin, Vinous.com