Wine Advisor
Ghislaine Barthod, Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras 2017
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: William Kelley
The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras unfurls in the glass with a youthfully reticent bouquet of raspberries, cherries, rose petal and orange rind. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, satiny-textured and multidimensional, with stunning depth and concentration at the core, mouthwatering acids and a searingly intense, mineral finish. This is a stunning Cras from a masterful winemaker at the peak of her powers.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2017 Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er Cru has the most backward bouquet of all the crus from Ghislaine-Barthod, but given rigorous aeration, it opens beautifully in the glass to reveal Dorset plum, hoisin, orange sorbet and mineral aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with great depth on the entry, featuring a mixture of red and black fruit, red peppercorns, orange peel and a tang of marmalade toward the persistent finish. Expect this to land at the top of my banded score once in bottle.
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.
