Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Veroilles 1er cru MG 2008

Robert ParkerRipe cassis and dark cherry are laced with scents of iris and clean, fresh, pasture-fed red meat in the enticing nose of Barthod’s 2008 Chambolle-Musigny Les Veroilles, which exhibits sap, energy, and sheer refreshment, yet at the same time a sense of viscosity uncommon in the present collection, or for that matter in this vintage. Intriguingly carnal; bittersweetly herbal and floral; piquantly fruit pit; invigoratingly saline; as well as dustily stony notes combine to lend complexity to a long, lip-smacking, positively gripping finish. This should be downright exciting to observe over the next dozen or more years. It’s exuberant and complex, yet not out to flatter the taster – or at least, not at this youthful stage. 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.)

VinousBright medium red. Pungent black cherry, blackberry and minerals on the rather cool, vintage-typical nose. Deep, sappy and a bit youthfully imploded, with strong mineral energy contributing to its impression of tautness. Serious, rocky wine with firm tannic spine and a rising finish that features a late note of maraschino cherry. Barthod describes 2008 as a classic, long-aging vintage.

Domaine Ghislaine Barthod er et af de mest respekterede og klassiske domæner i Chambolle-Musigny. Ejendommen blev grundlagt i slutningen af 1920’erne og blev i mange år drevet af Gaston Barthod, inden hans datter, Ghislaine, i 1980’erne trådte ind i arbejdet og gradvist satte sit eget præg. Siden 1990’erne har hun stået i spidsen for domænet, som under hendes ledelse er blevet synonymt med præcision, elegance og et kompromisløst fokus på terroir.

Domænet råder over knap seks hektar vinmarker, næsten udelukkende i Chambolle-Musigny, hvor Ghislaine arbejder med en lang række prestigefyldte Premier Cru-parceller såsom Les Fuées, Les Cras, Les Baudes, Les Véroilles, Les Charmes, Les Beaux Bruns og Les Châtelots. Vinstokkene er gamle, udbytterne holdes lave, og arbejdet i marken er præget af stor omhu og respekt for jordbundens naturlige balance.

I kælderen følger Ghislaine en traditionel og terroir-fokuseret tilgang. Druerne afstilkes delvist, gæringen sker med naturlige gærstammer, og vinene modnes i små egetræsfade, hvor kun en mindre del er nye. Resultatet er vine, der kombinerer finesse og præcision med dybde og lagringspotentiale, og som på fornemste vis udtrykker Chambolle-Musignys særlige karakter.

Vinene fra Ghislaine Barthod er i dag blandt de mest eftertragtede i Bourgogne. De fremstår rene, elegante og levende, med en sart balance mellem struktur og delikatesse, og anses ofte for at være nogle af de mest autentiske fortolkninger af Chambolle-Musigny.