2012 Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Aux Combottes

Ghislaine Barthod is a 17-acre estate in Chambolle-Musigny, in Burgundy’s Cote d’Or. Ghislaine is a third-generation winemaker, having taken over her family’s estate in 1987. It was previously run by her father and was founded in the 1920s by her grandfather. The estate has a Grand Cru parcel in Chambolle-Musigny, and Premier Crus in Les Baudes, Les Beaux-Bruns, Les Charmes, Les Chatelots, Les Combottes, Les Cras. Les Fuees and Les Veroilles. Ghislaine Barthod is the only domaine with a Premier Cru in Les Veroilles. Since Ghislaine took over the estate reviewers have been highly complimentary. Clive Coates notes that “for more than 15 years we have had definitely fine quality, rather than merely good (wine.)”

Côte de Nuits is the northern part of the Côte d’Or and it includes the most famous vineyards and wine communes in the world. There are more Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Nuits than anywhere else in Burgundy. Of the fourteen communes, or villages in the Côte de Nuits, six produce Grand Cru wines. They are Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Flagey-Échezeaux and Vosne-Romanee. Some of the vineyards within the Côte de Nuits are tiny, which adds to their prestige. The fabled Grand Cru vineyard La Romanee is barely two square acres. Altogether there are twenty-four Grand Cru vineyards. The region takes its name from the village of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Côtes de Nuits produces mostly reds from Pinot Noir, and the wines have been in demand for centuries. During the 18th century King Louis XIV’s physician recommended that for his health the king only drink wines from Nuits-Saint-Georges. Like most of Burgundy, the soils of the Côte de Nuit can vary greatly from one vineyard to another, though most are a base soil of limestone mixed with clay, gravel and sand.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.