2005 Chambolle-Musigny Village

This was a fascinating and instructive visit, as the Barthod domain is the ideal place to compare multiple premier cru vineyards from my favorite wine village, all made with a light touch by Ghislaine Barthod. This time I preferred Barthod's premier crus from higher-elevation hillside sites. Subsequent visits to other cellars in the village confirmed that many 2005 village wines as well as premier crus in lower spots were frequently very ripe, even heavy, in the context of Chambolle. Even though the hillsides in theory suffered more from drought than vines on flatter land and richer soils, they have apparently benefited from the added energy provided by a higher percentage of limestone in the soil. For her part, Barthod feels that the '05s have flesh and depth, along with sound acidity that gives them freshness and energy. But the 2002s had slightly better acidity, she added. Following a green harvest during the summer, Barthod produced about 36 hectoliters per hectare.