Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Clos de Beze 1985

Lot 768

768

12 bottles per lot

Price realised GBP 49,000

Estimate

GBP 30,000 – GBP 40,000

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Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Clos de Beze 1985

Price realised GBP 49,000

Details More from

A TRULY RARE AND COLLECTABLE CASE OF CLOS DE BEZE 1985 FROM ROUSSEAU
There is a quaint folklore behind this wine that always reminds me of the monastic heritage of Burgundy. In the year 630AD Algamaire, the Duke of Southern Burgundy gifted lands to the Abbey of Bèze for agricultural use. The monks, being fond of a glass of crimson hued wine after Vespers, decided to continue the Roman practice of plantings vines and so they sectioned off a field and named it the Clos de Bèze. Six centuries of the monks crafting delicate wines and making merry in their chapel passed before a peasant named Bertin tasted the monk’s wine and was impressed. He purchased the field (in French champ) next to the Abbey and planted his own vines. His vineyard became known as Champs de Bertin (Bertin’s field) and the locals quickly shortened it to Chambertin. The monks, sitting jealously over the road saw the quality of the liquid in Bertin’s glass and decided to append their own vineyard with his name so as to ride on his success. And so Chambertin Clos de Bèze was born, from the enterprise of a peasant and the jealously of the monks.
Domaine Armand Rousseau is the preeminent producer and was also the best performing Burgundy producer at Christie’s last year. The Grand Cru wines from this estate show incredible power, poise and precision. Their first plot of Clos de Bèze was added in 1961 under the direction of Charles Rousseau who succeeded his father, after Armand sadly died in a car accident in 1959. Charles’ 1985 Clos de Bèze has been described by Allen Meadows as ‘utterly seductive’ and the godfather of fine wine, Robert Parker, was impressed by the wonderful ‘sense of purity’.

Offered in-bond, available duty-paid
Armand Rousseau, Chambertin Clos de Beze 1985
Grand Cru, Côte de Nuits
In original Swiss import carton. Good appearance. Levels: 3cms or better
12 bottles per lot

‡ Offered in bond, available duty paid : You can choose to take this lot in bond or duty paid. Please note that if you choose to take this lot in bond the hammer price will be payable in full. If you choose to take this lot duty paid excise duty at current rates and clearance VAT on the hammer price and duty will be added to your invoice. These charges cannot be cancelled or refunded by Christie’s. Please note unless you specify otherwise you will be invoiced for lots duty paid.

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Noah May

nmay@christies.com +44 (0)20 7752 3140

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