I had guests for dinner yesterday and the caterer inadvertantly opened a bottle of 1996 Armand Rousseau Gevrey Chambertain "Clos St Jaques" (which I had pulled) and a 1996 Armand Rousseau Chambertain "Clos de Beze" (when sent for a back-up bottle she pulled the wrong one and opened it before I could check it). These wines were markedly different from each other from an aging perspective. I purchased six bottles of each from a temperature controlled warehouse in Beaune a few years ago and carried the case with me back to the States to my
55F cellar. The Clos St. Jacques is a pale ruby color, slightly bricked and pink at the rim with mature pinot noir notes of cherries, earth and mushrooms while the Clos de Beze is almost inky black with very little signs of age showing black fruits and cherries on the nose with a powerful mineral component and plenty of wet stones. I was amazed at the difference in the development of these two wines from the same maker, same vintage and resonable close vineyards. While I understand the terroir issues, I can't figure the difference in maturity levels from mature to quite youthful. Can any one explain? Bi!!