2015 Chambolle-Musigny, Domaine Ghislaine Barthod, Burgundy

Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating, and at times infuriating, wine grape in the world. However when it is successful, it can produce some of the most sublime wines known to man. This thin-skinned grape which grows in small, tight bunches performs well on well-drained, deepish limestone based subsoils as are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is more susceptible than other varieties to over cropping - concentration and varietal character disappear rapidly if yields are excessive and yields as little as 25hl/ha are the norm for some climats of the Côte d`Or.

The 25 vineyards in Chambolle-Musigny are designated as Premier Cru vineyards. Their wines are described as Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, followed by the vineyard name – for example, as Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru Les Grands Murs. The most celebrated Premier Cru in Chambolle is Les Amoureuses.

Ghislaine Barthod’s domaine originated in the 1920s with Marcel Noëllat, whose daughter married Gaston Barthod – a soldier stationed in Dijon who came to buy some wine and got the girl as well. He gave up military life for the vineyards in ’60. His daughter, Ghislaine, and her partner, Louis Boillot, bought their current premises overlooking Premier Cru Les Feusselottes in ’86. Though they share the team who work the vineyards, the vinification and commercial aspects of their businesses are kept separate. The domaine has an incomparable range of Chambolle-Musigny terroirs, with 11 separate Premier Cru bottlings and highly regarded Bourgogne and village wines.