A Gevrey-Chambertin en Bourgogne : domaine Armand Rousseau

The Domain was started at the beginning of the 20th century by Armand Rousseau who, at his majority, inherited several plots of vineyards in Gevrey Chambertin. Armand Rousseau was issued from a family of small landowners, who were mainly vine growers, coopers and local wine merchants.
His wedding in 1909 allows him to increase the superficy of his vineyards and at the same time to acquire the present Domain premises with the living house, the storing places, the cellars and the winery, situated in the oldest part of the village, near the 13^th. Century church. Armand Rousseau first sells his wines in bulk to local wholesalers. Then very rapidly, he buys new vineyards such as CHARMES CHAMBERTIN in 1919, CLOS DE LA ROCHE and CHAMBERTIN in 1920 and 1921 and he decides to bottle himself his most prestigious wines and sell them directly to consumers, particularly to restaurants and connoisseurs, wisely advised by Raymond Baudoin, a great friend of his and the founder of the "Revue des Vins de France".
As years go by, Armand Rousseau continues to enlarge his Domain with the purchase of more Grands Crus, classified as such in 1935 when the "Institut des Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée" was created, that is, MAZY CHAMBERTIN in 1937, MAZOYERES CHAMBERTIN (now appearing under the appellation of CHARMES CHAMBERTIN) in 1940, CHAMBERTIN in 1943 and 1956. The CLOS SAINT JACQUES is bought in 1954 in his son Charles's name who, after studying law and then oenology in Dijon University, joins his father in 1945.

In 1959, after Armand Rousseau's death in a car accident on his way back from hunting, Charles Rousseau is at the head of a Domain of 6 ha which he will continue developing rapidly thanks to his great knowledge in oenology, and his experience, by acquiring new vineyards, especially in "Grands Crus" areas.

Speaking fluently English and German, he decides to turn principally towards export, and, after the USA where his father had already started to sell his wines right after prohibition at the end of the 30's, he develops the exchanges first with Great-Britain, Germany, Switzerland, soon afterwards to all European countries, then to Canada, Australia, New-Zealand, Brazil, etc. and lastly Asia in the 1970’s.

In 1982, Charles Rousseau is joined by his son Eric who has made studies in the Lycée Agricole et Viticole of Mâcon Davayé and one year of specializing in oenology in Dijon University.
Eric takes care more especially of the vineyards and the vinification, directing the Domain to a reasoned wine growing while keeping a traditional way of wine making.
From 1993 to 2005, Corinne, Charles’s elder daughter, after many years of professional experience in export abroad and in France, comes back to the Domain, gets the same year a diploma in oenology, and in her turn, takes in charge the commercial relationship with customers.

Eric is now at the head of the Domain. From 2006, he’s helped by Brigitte, Charles’s youngest daughter, who takes back the commercial part in partnership with Frédéric Robert, who also drives the tastings.