2005 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Chatelots 1er Cru

From just north of Les Feusselottes (and west of tiny Combottes), the 2005 Chambolle-Musigny Les Chatelots offers a liqueur-like expression of black raspberry and cassis, its sweetness further enhanced by aromatic overtones of vanilla and gardenia, but never entirely shaking loose of an invigorating, tart fruit skin edge. This displays tremendous polish and proportionality on the palate, with refined tannins, an incipiently silken texture and an elegant persistence of both fresh and liqueur-like black fruits, sweet floral perfume, marrow, and faintly salty, chalky mineral notes. It is positively archetypal Chambolle (indeed, almost like a little Amoureuses) and capable, I predict, of giving great pleasure anytime from the near future to 8-10 years out. There will be only a little over 100 cases. 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.