Chambolle Musigny Beaux Bruns, Domaine Ghislaine Barthod 2017

This old vine cuvée from a 0.72ha parcel is typical of the domaine's style: feminine if you like, or just fragrant and elegant. Showing subtle reduction that promises a bright future in bottle, it's chalky, minerally and precise with focussed red fruit flavours and lacy tannins. Drink between 2023-2028.

The 2017 Beaux Bruns was the only wine in the cellar that was not singing at the time of my mid-November visit to Domaine Barthod, as the wine was just a touch reductive and needed a bit of coaxing to express itself. With some swirling the wine offers up a promising bouquet of red and black cherries, plums, raw cocoa, a fine base of soil, pigeon and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full and focused, with a rock solid core, lovely balance and grip, ripe tannins and a long, youthful and promising finish. Good juice. Drink between 2027-2065.

A relatively deeply pitched nose speaks of dark raspberry, plum liqueur, red currant and touches of earth and leather. As is typically the case, the medium-bodied flavors possess more volume and richness though notable less refinement to the sappy, powerful and serious finish that should easily repay extended keeping. While qualitatively similar to the Chatelots, this is completely different in style and personality. Drink starting 2029.