Wine Advisor
Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
The 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras was slightly reduced and required a good shaking, but then ...! Aromas of black raspberry jam and high-toned suggestions of black tea, iris, and marzipan in the nose usher in a terrifically sweet, rich palate with jam and honey wreathed in flowers and reinforced by a sounding board of chalk. A long, lush, finish features continued sweet florality and confiture of black raspberry, with counterpoint from chalk dust and white pepper. For all of its richness, make no mistake: there is an underlying abundance of ultra-fine tannin more than sufficient to help see this through at least 12-15 years of exciting evolution. Sharing expanded wine-making facilities with her husband, Louis Boillot, Gislaine Barthod continues to render some of the purest, most expressively fruity and consistently excellent as well as ageworthy Pinots in Burgundy. All but the Bourgogne and village Chambolle – recently assembled in tank – were tasted from barrel. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru is drinking well at the moment. It has that forcefulness that many 2005s possess, a sense of presence and power as if it doesn't want to be ignored. It offers copious red fruit, briar and touches of leather, which is very Chambolle in terms of its exuberance. The palate is more refined with grippy tannins. Again, it is pretty powerful, and you might argue that it lacks a bit of refinement. But there is purity of fruit and impressive length, and my glass was soon finished.
About the Producer
The Domaine Barthod-Noellat was founded in the late 1920s and obviously is a fusion of the work of two families: Noellat & Barthod. Gaston Barthod, whose family originated in the Jura, married into the Noellat family and took over the direction of the domaine after his military service concluded in the 1950s. We commenced our love affair with this domaine in 1981 when we first began to import its wines into the United States. In many ways, Gaston Barthod served as our mentor in the early stages of our work in Burgundy and we remain deeply grateful for, and respectful of, his sage advice. At the outset of our relationship, Gaston declared only his Chambolle Musigny “Les Charmes” as a 1er Cru and all the rest of the wine bore the same “Chambolle Musigny” label. For our initial shipments of “Les Cras” and “Les Fuées”, two lovely 1er Crus, we had Gaston mark the boxes in crayon with a “C” or an “F” so that we could keep them separate and treat them differently when they arrived stateside! Ghislaine Barthod’s holdings cover 5.86 hectares in the commune of Chambolle and in neighboring Gilly-les-Citeaux. The soil of Chambolle is more spare than that of neighboring Morey and Gevrey. Limestone gravel covers the surface and the layer of topsoil is very thin. As a result, the wines of Chambolle are noted for their finesse and delicacy. The average age of the vines on the Barthod estate is over 30 years old. Yields are always modest; a vigorous pruning and occasional “green harvest” are practiced. Ghislaine follows traditional methods of vinification and carefully ages her wines. The grapes are partially destemmed before going into the fermentation vats. Only natural yeasts are used. The more sluggish start encountered when working with wild yeast gives the must a natural period of maceration before fermentation begins. The length varies from 2 to 5 days and is dependent upon temperatures. After fermentation, the wines are racked into small barrels (about 20% to 25% of which are new) and aged for about 20 months. These wines are particularly ageworthy and offer the rare privilege of deeply exploring the terroir of this singular village.
