Wine Advisor
Francois Bertheau, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
A blend of Baudes, Groseilles, Gruenchers and Noirots, Bertheau's 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru offers up notes of sweet red berries, cassis, peonies, dark chocolate and grilled squab. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, with more fleshy and underlying structure than the Chambolle AOC, displaying a generous core of succulent fruit and good length on the finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru has a very attractive, floral, Vosne-like bouquet of ebullient red fruit that blossoms in the glass, turning quite zesty with aeration and revealing satsuma and a touch of tangerine. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit and moderate depth, tightening up toward the finish, which feels quite spicy. There is a pleasant bitterness here, though I would have liked a little more persistence. Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2017 tasting.
About the Producer
Domaine Bertheau is a small but fine domaine in Chambolle-Musigny that counts some of the finest parcels in Chambolle. The domaine’s holdings include the Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares, the super Premier Cru Les Amoureuses and a number of other excellent Chambolle-Musigny Premier Crus. The 6.9-hectare domaine is planted with vines that are on average 50 years old. The family estate had seen 3 consecutive generations of winegrower before first getting international recognition in 1989, when Robert Parker granted the domaine with a higher ranking than Domaine Comte de Vogüé in his Book “Burgundy: a comprehensive guide”. Pierre Bertheau was the proprietor and winemaker of the domaine at the time. François Bertheau worked alongside his father, Pierre, for twenty years before fully taking over the family estate in 2004. Purist in style, Francois highly focuses on the peculiarities of each of his terroirs, he wants his Chambolles to be identified as such. The wines are classic Chambolles that emphasize finesse, elegant aromatics and silky textures. Typically drinking well immediately upon release, the approachability of these wines should not be confused with an inability to age!
