TN: 2001 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes

Peter_Hirsch · June 6, 2009, 12:08pm

2001 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru (6/6/2009)
Really nice bottle of Burg. A little subdued (like many '01s), good kirsch/cherry flavors, but not overpowering. Some forest floor. Well balanced. Not a monster, but not weak either. Nice length. If I put a few bottles of this on the dinner table next to some of those 'Monster" Calif pinots, I’m sure these would all vanish first. Delicious, but not crazy hedonistic if that makes sense… (93 pts.)

todd_waldmann · June 6, 2009, 1:12pm

Nice note Peter. I don’t own enough '01s or enough wines from Barthod. I’ve loved the bottles of hers from '01 that I’ve had the chance to drink. Very pure expressions of Pinot.

I wouldn’t be so sure that this would disappear first if put out w/ a bunch of monster Cali Pinots. There are a lot of folks who are seduced by the “more is better” style. In my experience, the subtleties of a wine like an '01 Chambolle from Barthod are lost on many, many people. The last time we opened one of these in a larger group (of about 10 or 12), I believe it was the Veroilles. Three of us absolutely couldn’t get enough of the beautiful nose & great balance. Easily our wine of the night. Nobody else understood at all what the three of us were fussing about & happily drank whatever else was open.

Andrew_Hall · June 6, 2009, 1:17pm

Thanks for posting that note. I’ve got some '01 Cras, but no intent to drink it for a bit longer.

I’m with Peter on the surprising seduction of wines like this. I’ve had dinners with guests where I will have two wines out, one modern and flashy and the other far more subtle. People will try both, rave about the former and by the end of the night, the latter is empty while there is wine left in the flashy one.

One evening, I opened a bottle of Alban which I ended up loathing while my wife rave. I grabbed a bottle of Arcadian Pinot and gave her a taste. She literally dumped a full glass of the Alban off the deck and stuck it in front of the bottle with a look.

A.

Howard_Cooper · June 6, 2009, 1:36pm

Barthod’s 2001s are very beautiful, seductive wines. Nice notes Peter.

Guillaume_Deschamps · June 6, 2009, 1:49pm

First of all Todd, Howard, welcome! Good to see you here!

Todd, I think you misread Peter…

I too really like the 01s from Bathod - actually it was the good old days when she wasn’t sold out so I could indulge a bit I need to stop drinking them so fast, though, that’s the problem.

Lyle_Fass · June 6, 2009, 2:12pm

Cletis and Peter

Welcome! So good to see hear you hear, you hick. Regarding Barthod, I find the wines need age and really you need to add an extra three years to the reccomended drinking time people give Burgundy. I would say instead of five years, eight years for the Bourgogne Rouge, instead of ten for the 1st tier 1er Crus (Charmes, Beaux-Bruns, Les Baudes,) star opening them at thirteen to fifteen and instead of fifteen to twenty years for the 2nd Tier 1er Crus (Varoilles, Les Cras, Les Fuees).

Chambolle, despite its feminine side and reputation probably needs more age than most villages in the Cote de Nuits.

Peter_Hirsch · June 6, 2009, 2:44pm

Hi Lyle!
For whatever reason, I seem to drink the CM Charmes first. Maybe it’s more seductive and hedonistic. Or maybe the subliminal effects of the name are just fooling me!!!

Lyle_Fass · June 6, 2009, 2:48pm

Peter,

As crazy as it sounds, I have always beleived Burgundy kind of tastes like it sounds! Chambolle is charming, Gevrey is gritty etc. I probably need

todd_waldmann · June 6, 2009, 3:17pm

Uh. The correct spelling is “Cleetus” I agree w/ your thoughts on aging Barthod, completely. I’m not drinking any of my few bottles of '01 yet.

Maybe I did misread Peter…

Lyle_Fass · June 6, 2009, 3:22pm

I can never spell that name right. Cleetus. Got it.

todd_waldmann · June 6, 2009, 5:33pm

I guess the Cleetus avatar needs to be resurrected now…

Lyle_Fass · June 6, 2009, 5:48pm

Yes it does!

steffenpelz · June 6, 2009, 6:12pm

Sounds like a great wine.

SP

ken.reich · June 6, 2009, 7:38pm

Peter
thanks for the note
the lady has the balance on her wines nailed…since like 2000 vintage

i think it is that balance of fruit, mineral and acid that makes her wines seem so easy to drink

we had a bottle of her 2000 & 2001 les cras at a burg lunch recently and while both bottles emptied quickly it wasn’t hard to see both that both have a very long live ahead of them.
that would be a fun OL them “Ladies of Burgundy”