Ric visits Domaine Ghislaine Barthod

In spite of numerous superstar estates in Burgundy already well-known to wine lovers, there are still a number of domaines that function quietly below the radar, so to speak, but whose wines can easily match up to any of the best. Domaine Ghislaine Barthod is one of these. When we arrived on the morning of 24 October 2018 amongst the hills of Chambolle, we were warmly welcomed by Madame Ghislaine Barthod herself. She wore a worried look though, as she feared her German hunting dog (I call it a hound) may have slipped out through the open gate. But all was well when the hound was found, and Mme. Barthod happily led us down to its spotlessly clean cellars for a tasting of its 2017 reds.

Ghislaine Barthod

Founded in the 1920s, this estate was formerly a joint-venture between the Barthod and Noellat families. Its wines began to be noticed in the 1950s outside of Burgundy when Mme Ghislaine’s father Gaston took over control of the entire domaine and quality improved. The baton was passed over to Mme Ghislaine in 1987 and, soon after, the domaine took after her name. Focusing entirely on Chambolle-Musigny, I found the wines to be richly layered, delicious, rounded and feminine, not in any sense flabby or weak, but highly elegant and poised with lovely depth. Perhaps unknown to many, the wines of many well-known estates nowadays are made by women, and I find that these wines tend to reflect, either unwittingly or by design, distinct feminine tones. At the end of the barrel tasting, Mme Ghislaine – friendly, charming, highly knowledgeable and efficient-looking – popped another two back-vintage bottles that further affirmed the outstanding quality of this domaine. There may not be any grand crus in its portfolio but who needs them when its premier crus are so good? This is truly a superb address. Bravo et merci beaucoup Madame Ghislaine!

2016 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Bourgogne rouge. Popped and poured. Deeply aromatic, recalling ripe red fruits, dark cherries with early nuances of cedar. Great concentration and fullness, very well layered with a deeper vein of fruit. Rounded, showing good sophistication. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny. Glorious color. Delicious red fruits and dark currants on the nose, displaying great presence and acidity. Well structured svelte finely grained tannins. Good finish.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Beaux Bruns 1er. Beautiful deep ruby. Lifted aromas of dark roses and dark cherries with earthy tones. Rather full. Fleshy and rounded, showing good minerally presence and inner detail. Well layered with subtle sweet tannins that are very well managed, finishing well. Delicious.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er. Great color. Delicious dark roses, cherries and dark plums dominate amidst gentle sweet red fruits, well set against gentle saline minerals on the palate, displaying excellent presence with understated acidity and structure, finishing well. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Gruenchers 1er. Deeply aromatic with characters of raisins, dark currants, dark cherries, cedar and dark plums. Dominant minerally tone on the palate, very well integrated with very fine acidity and tannins, well layered with excellent balance that culminated in a soft gentle finish. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuees 1er. Deep lifted aromas of dark cherries, raspberries and mulberries, highly perfumed. Racy in character, displaying very fine concentration and presence with velvety sexy tannins that imparted a certain feminine intensity. Very lovely.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Veroilles 1er. Superb deep ruby. Ample bouquet of mulberries, dark cherries and dark roses of great purity. Full-bodied, glowing with great power and luxurious velvety tones tinged with a bit of savoury note, displaying deep intensity of dark fruits, finishing with gentle sweet tannins. Excellent.

2017 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras 1er. Glorious colour, exuding a great rosy fragrance. Open with a gentle minerally tone. Soft, rounded and fleshy, displaying gentle depth. Very lovely balance. Good finish.

2011 Domaine Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Les Fuees 1er. Popped and poured. Deeply aromatic with a lovely lifted fragrance of abundant dark fruits, currants and dark plums. Open, rounded, soft and fleshy. Very lively in its focused acidity and intensity, finishing with good linearity. Excellent.