The Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers 1976, D. Armand Rousseau, has been
stored properly by me since release. There were no problems with the
bottle or cork. The price sticker on the bottle was for US$ 10.25. I
only bought this one bottle.
The year 1976 was very hot and dry in Burgundy, and most of the grapes
were ready to harvest in early September. The extreme conditions
produced problems for some of the wines. Some had too much tannins and
tended to dry out with time. Some were low in acid and sometimes
turned brown in just a few years. However other wines have aged well.
This wine still has a lot of color for a Burgundy, and does not show
undue age. It has a big body, more that of a Northern Rhone than a
typical Burgundy. The usual Burgundy elements are there with dark
fruit, some earthy character, etc. It does lack the great intensity
and complexity of a Rousseau Chambertin of a good year, but
considering the price, it was a good value even when bought on
release. I have had much worse top-grower Burgundy from the 70s that
cost much more.
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