Chambolle's Unyielding Purity
2007 Ghislaine Barthod Pre-Arrival Offer
Special Pricing for this Parcel Only
"2007 proves beyond any reasonable doubt that Ghislaine Barthod has fully arrived at the top of her game and she is undoubtedly one of the finest vigneronnes in the entire Côte."
- Allen Meadows
HUGE WORDS flow from the Burghound's pen.
He continues: "If classically styled ultra-pure and understated Chambolle floats your Burgundy boat, then the Barthod-Noëllat wines should be on your very short list along with the likes of Roumier, Mugnier and de Vogüé as they really are that good."
Barthod ranked with Roumier, Mugnier and Vogüé? Yup. Yet for those who know Barthod's wines, the words aren't out of place. These finely wrought Chambolles really "are that good."
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A quick word to the most serious of Burgundy buyers: Don't miss these.
What's astonishing isn't that Barthod is included on a list of the region's greats, but that Barthod is able to achieve this status without having a single vine planted in grand cru vineyards. That said, her Les Cras, which in 2007 is a wine to reckon with, is capable of going head-to-head with many grand crus without breaking a sweat. (This is a do not miss in 2007, in our humble opinion.)
Today, we are offering Barthod's 2007s at special pre-arrival pricing. Please note that the special pricing is only available on this offer and ends when the wine sells out.
Due to such limited quantities, allocations will be confirmed next week. If you haven't yet, now is the time to board the Barthod train. This is a producer along the lines of Fourrier, Chevillon, even Mugneret-Gibourg, whose fans are rabid - the wines (already only available in small quantities) disappear quickly.
If it's a common refrain, some of Barthod's under-the-radar status is due simply to the small size of the estate - only six hectares. Her larger 1er cru holdings are around .85 hectares, and many are as small as a quarter of a hectare! With so little wine to be had, breaking through to a larger group is difficult. This is just fine for those who know Barthod; her Chambolles of shimmering clarity and heartbreakingly silky elegance are something her fans would love to keep secret.
2007 was one of those roller coaster vintages. A downright hot April lead to an extremely early flowering and predictions of another hot vintage, like 03. However, a very cool, rainy summer nearly stopped maturation in its tracks. Vineyards needed to be ruthlessly maintained to ensure the quality of fruit. Finally, the weather broke in the last week of August. Those who maintained their vineyards throughout July and August, which was backbreaking work, and who had the strong nerves to harvest late were capable of making very good wines. At their best the wines show, to quote Stephen Tanzer, "an almost electric impression of lift and perfume."
Barthod simply nailed the vintage through a combination of intelligent vineyard management, ruthless triage and late harvesting. The wines show a captivating refinement, with bright perfumed fruits on beds of minerals and, unlike many wines in 07, they have plenty of concentration and well-calibrated ripeness. The bad news is that the vintage and Barthod’s militant pursuit of quality resulted in production being thirty percent below normal. This is going to make already limited wines even more scarce.
So we'd recommend placing orders now. While our allocation is good, these are wines we receive in paltry case quantities.
Complete tasting notes for all the 2007 Barthods are below. Please note the rarity of these wines and that there is no compare-at pricing available in the U.S. Give us your ideal order, and we will allocate as fairly as possible. All orders will be confirmed early next week.
To order, reply to this email or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Beaux Bruns
Burghound: A slightly riper nose offers up aromas of red raspberry and plum with a touch of warm earth that gives way to rich, full and naturally sweet flavors that possess good volume and ample dry extract though not the sheer depth and length of the Baudes. To be sure, this is generous and attractive, it's simply not competitive with the best here.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Baudes
Burghound: A fresh, attractive and airy nose of plum, blueberry and red cherry aromas merges into rich, detailed and intensely mineral suffused medium-bodied flavors that are textured, concentrated and balanced on the lingering finish. This packs plenty of punch and while it remains an elegant wine, it does not lack for a certain amount of muscle as its proximity to Bonnes Mares is evident. Recommended.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Véroilles
Tanzer: Bright medium red. Pure, higher-pitched aromas of cherry, raspberry, blackberry and crushed stone. Sweet, silky and pure, with lovely energy for the vintage and an inner-mouth floral perfume I did not find in the other 2007s here. With its much juicier mouth feel, this is completely different in texture from Barthod's other 2007s and really shows the higher altitude of these vines. Lovely spreading finish. Already delicious but this should improve in bottle for several years.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Fuées
Burghound: The altitude shows here as the expressive and ultra elegant nose of red berry fruit and violet aromas is noticeably cool, pure and refined, leading to detailed and understated flavors brimming with an intense minerality on the balanced, energetic and mouth coating finish that goes on and on. A wine of breed and class that is very Fuées in character.
Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Cras
Burghound: Brilliant ruby. A highly complex nose of raspberry, strawberry and blueberry aromas precedes the detailed, precise and palate staining flavors that seem to be constructed on a base of pungent minerality that suffuses the wine from start to finish, all wrapped in an explosively long finish. This has real verve with perhaps a bit more power and muscle than usual. In a word, impressive.
2007 Barthod arrives late May
Net / No further discounts