2008 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes 1er Cru

The Barthod 2008 Chambolle-Musigny Les Baudes smells complexly as well as ravishingly of peony, narcissus, framboise distillate, kirsch, and fresh berries. Luscious and ripely-fruited on the palate – if both slightly less bright and a bit more astringent than its stable mates – this finishes with a broad spread of fine tannins and formidable sense of grip. It should be fascinating to follow over at least the next 6-8 years, and will probably benefit from being left alone for the first several of these. Barthod recommended aeration, although that seemed to underscore the wine’s relative softness in terms of fruit acids, without noticeably affecting the sense of tanninity or engendering greater clarity. Ghislaine Barthod expressed elation at a 2008 collection that she though evoked the “tres Chambolle” ideals of finesse, animation, and brightness. With the exception of her generic and village lots that were still in barrel then, I tasted all of these wines assembled from tank in February. (They were destined for April or May bottling). Barthod is decidedly less overjoyed by recent yields. “The last three vintages have brought really small quantities: in 2006 we had the hail; 2007 required a severe trie; and in 2008 – besides a bit more hail (principally on non-cru sites) – we had berries with very little pulp or juice,” she says, adding that “in 2008 you had to be really vigilant and spray (against fungal pests) at just the right moment. One day too late and you were in trouble. We ended up with high acidity but balance, good natural alcohol, and enough richness.” (Not only is Barthod one of Burgundy’s most consistent performers, she’s one grower you can count on to be spot-on – even if that means ruthlessly honest – in assessing her own performance. Unfortunately, shortage of time precluded my tasting her 2007s.) Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990