2009 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru

The 2009 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes impresses for its classy, elegant personality. There is an airy, weightless quality that is immensely appealing. In many ways, the Charmes sums up so much of what Burgundy is and can be. Layers of fruit literally float on the plate on the inviting finish. This is another fabulous showing. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024. Barthod’s 2009s are just as impressive from bottle as they were from barrel. Barthod and her husband Louis Boillot told me they moved up their harvest date by four days in 2009 because the fruit was ripening quickly. That turns out to have been a very wise choice. The Barthod 2009s have wonderful energy to match the radiance of the year. Readers can’t go wrong with any of these superb 2009s Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

Medium red. Reticent nose hints at raspberry, crushed rock and menthol. Quite dry and imploded but juicy and fresh, with lively notes of red berries and olive. Much less demonstrative today than the Beaux-Bruns and more dominated by its structure. Shows good minerality for the year and finishes dry, classy and long. This tight, firmly structured wine will need at least several years of aging.

(these vines are now about 70 years of age) Medium red. Sappy, precise aromas of crushed raspberry, minerals, violet and licorice show a slightly liqueur-like quality. Then juicy and penetrating in the mouth, with a surprising briskness to its mouthcoating flavors. Very firmly structured for this cuvee in a warm year. Finishes taut, dry and classic, even a bit austere. This vineyard clearly benefited from early picking in 2009. Barthod notes that one of her two parcels is a rocky holding on the Amoureuses/Haut-Doix side of this premier cru.