Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils, Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 2011

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. The Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St Jacques 2011 has an earthy bouquet, the stems quite prominent, though it is still well defined and full of freshness and vitality. It opens beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, more linear than its peers, the acidity pitched higher, but that just lends tension and race on the finish. The aftertaste is long with plenty of spicy black fruit and blackcurrant pastilles. This is a very commendable, more masculine, structured Clos St. Jacques that has improved since I last tasted it a few months ago, putting a gap between itself and Rousseau's fellow premier cru.