Domaine Ghislaine BARTHOD -- 2013s tasted from cask

 Domaine Ghislaine BARTHOD (Chambolle-Musigny)

2013s  from Cask

Harvesting began on October 1. Quantities are a bit better than 2012 and about the same as 2011. Because of the small crop, there is no Chambolle-Combottes in 2013 – what was harvested went into the village Chambolle. As always, grapes are completely destemmed here. This is one of the most exciting cellars I visited, and the 2013s here are above the normal (high) level of quality of those cellars – were they all of this quality, we’d be citing 2013 as a very great vintage instead of a very good one. (And lest you think that for whatever reason, I was overly impressed, I tasted here twice.)

2013 Bourgogne   Pinot Noir

There are a few addresses where you can get Bourgogne as good Ghislaine’s, but none where you can reliably get better Bourgogne rouge, I maintain. The nose and mouth show red cherries and red currants and are pure, precise, and fresh. There’s a little bit of spice here and lovely elegance. (88-91)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny

Here, too, there are a few names that consistently produce Chambolle of this quality, but not many, and you all know their names. The wine is smooth and fresh with mineral red fruits (especially red cherry) and it shows excellent precision. Because of the small quantity in 2013, Ghislaine blended the premier cru Aux Combottes into this wine. (89-92)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Châtelots

As is typical for this wine, it is light, nervy, and elegant. The fruit is red cherries with a little bit of dark fruit showing, too. (90-93)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Beaux Bruns

The Beaux Bruns is fleshier than the Châtelots (as is typical) with darker fruit but still a little red. (91-94)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Gruenchers

The Gruenchers is very fine with red and dark fruit that filter over the tongue. It is medium-weight and extremely pure. (91-94)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Charmes

The Charmes is smooth and velvety with red and dark fruit that is long and precise. (92-96)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Cras

Usually, this wine is shown last or next-to-last, but for whatever reason, it came a bit sooner in the presentation this year. Not that it lacks any is quality. There’s more structure here than in the foregoing wines, as one would expect, and the fruit is dark berry. The wine is smooth in texture and crunchy and fresh in its fruit. There are some tannins here, so it should age well for quite some time. (93-97)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Baudes

The Baudes shows greater firmness than the Cras but is less expansive. The fruit is dark and the wine shows freshness, dark fruit, and structure. (92-96)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Fuées

Baudes is down slope from Bonnes-Mares, Fuées is at the same level and south of Bonnes-Mares. The density, breadth, and structure come forth in this wine after the Baudes. The fruit here is dark and crystalline. This is about as great as Fuées gets. (94-97)

2013 Chambolle-Musigny  1er Cru – Les Véroilles

This wine is on the slope above Bonnes-Mares and the only portion of Véroilles that is classified as premier cru (others are village). Minerality is the dominant theme here with crystallinity being a second one. The wine is light, pure, penetrating, fresh, focused, and salty. (93-97)