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| 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 13th.
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".
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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.
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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 1970s.
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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.
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| 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. |
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