Burgundy without Artifice
- Chambolle Graceful and Precise
2009 Bertheau
Chambolle Musigny 1er Cru
"I do wonder how he has managed to fly beneath the international burgundy-loving radar for so long. His wines are really outstanding - very pure and unforced."
-Jancis Robinson
Our obsession with François Bertheau is well documented - this is our fourth email on his wines in almost as many months.
It seems that every bottle we open encourages our obsession to grow. Bertheaus are honest in the most commendable, purest way - there's no flash to them, and that's part of what makes them so captivating. They are wines that feel as though they're without artifice.
And apparently we're not the only ones paying such sharp attention. Judging by the response to our recent offers, Bertheau seems close to reaching the tipping point, going from largely unknown to gaining a serious following.
All for good reason: These are some of the most exciting red Burgs we've tasted this year.
 |
Stylistically, Bertheau shares a kinship with producers like Jean-Marie Fourrier and Jacky Truchot: Bertheau's wines are graceful and subtle. The wines are animated by a fine-ness, a delicacy. They speak softly, but with captivating precision.
Today, we turn our focus to Bertheau's 2009 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru. Bertheau's under-the-radar status allows his wines to be some of the best values out there, especially for supremely elegant wines of Chambolle. And, of his line-up, the Chambolle 1er Cru may offer the best value.
Bertheau is a small domaine with only 6.2ha. His 1er Cru is a blend of four different 1er Crus that total 1ha. It's not practical to bottle these separately, so he blends the sites. Among the four 1er Crus are the impressive Baudes, which is in the shadows of Bonnes Mares, and the very minerally and elegant Gruenchers.
Bertheau's 2009 Chambolle 1er Cru is Chambolle in all its lovely perfume, its silken elegance and stony minerality.The 2009 Burgundy vintage saw a harvest of near perfect fruit and the resulting wines offer a fruit driven concentration that makes it one of the stongest vintages of the past ten years. Bertheau took the ripeness of the 2009 and rendered it with an incredible balance and precision. Simply put: the wine is seductive texturally and aromatically.
Bertheau's 2009 Chambolle 1er Cru is accessible now. The ripeness of the vintage just makes the wine's structure less foreboding. That said, the balance on Bertheau's 2009s promise that his Chambolle 1er Cru will benefit from many years in the cellar.
The small parcel of back-vintage Bertheau that we picked up a few month ago serves as a monument to how well Bertheau ages - a beautiful 86 Amoureuses at Jungsik, a stunning 92 Charmes opened at the store for some friends.
Bertheau's are just beautiful wines. They are classic Burgundies in their elegance and subtlety. As Kermit Lynch writes, Bertheau is "a gifted winemaker of the old school." His 2009 1er Cru shows why in a way that's accessible both in terms of price and style.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare
Crush Wine & Spirits