A marathon tasting with Clément Boillot-Barthod in Chambolle-Musigny, 31 August 2021.
Domaines Louis Boillot et Fils & Ghislaine Barthod
4 Rue du Lavoir
21220 Chambolle-Musigny
Tel: +33 3 80 62 80 16
More reports for Louis Boillot & Ghislaine Barthod
Clément on 2021:
“As we approach the harvest, our gamay has less oidium than our pinots, so treatments have been easier there. There’s currently lots of oidium in Chambolle because of the cool weather that comes down the combe here. As for the frost, we were more or less impacted everywhere except a few places in Chambolle where there were no obvious effects at all.”
Clément on 2020:
“2020 wasn’t a complicated season except for the earliness of the harvesting – we started 17 August and finished on the 28th – two firsts! In 3-4 days the degrees increased between 0.5 and 1.0°. We have quite small yields, very small in our Gevrey villages where some of the soil is gravelly, this meant 13 hl/ha – overall, we have, maybe, 60% of a normal vintage volume.”
It’s the same team that work both the Chambolle and Gevrey domaines, and notably, the Barthod side of the cellar now has 11 different 1er crus! The succession is well under-way here but Clément plans that the two domaine structures will remain as they are, as there are so many established relationships and distributorships – he’s looking for continuity. Clément has previously worked ‘stages’ at Vieux Château Certan, Comte Georges de Vogüé and the Clos des Lambrays.
The wines…
It’s becoming quite a long tasting when you visit this address! Today, Clément’s father’s wines were tasting super whereas his mum’s were not quite so open and ready. The Beaujolais showed very well – some being quite brilliant.
2020 Volnay Grand Poisots
A little saline edge to a tighter, dark fruit. Full, fresh, depth of flavour though a little oaky today. The finish has some good vibrancy. A wine of concentration and potential but needs to open up more. The nose opens up well, becoming ever more attractive…
2020 Volnay 1er Les Angles
A small part of about 80-year-old vines, the rest are 40 – always early ripening here, these were the first vines harvested but with nearly 14°
A darker nose, with freshness to this depth of dark fruit. Hmm – here’s concentration and lovely energy to balance. Very tasty wine – thats lovely… The last impression has some tannic presence.
2020 Volnay 1er Les Brouillards
Plenty of colour. Again some freshness and fine points of clarity. Supple, wide, with darker red fruit. Thats a lovely wine but it’s another that needs to unwind more…
2020 Pommard 1er Fremiers
A more open nose, fresh too. Here is certainly a more direct and structural wine but it’s lip-smackingly delicious too.
More clay in the soil here, and very old vines – 90 years old.
Here’s a much more airy width, with a pretty depth to the aroma too. Sleek, direct, tasty wine. This has a bubbling level of complexity. Gorgeous wine – bravo…
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin
12 parcels blended with vines of 50-60-years-old, on average
Wide airy, not the full aromatic focus of some wines in the cellar today but very attractive. Round, comfortable, but still concentrated, tasty wine.
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Evocelles
From the top of the hill next to Champeaux – almost no soil in places
Thats got a faint reduction and a slight coffee aspect too. Fresh, wide, ooh – that’s very lovely. Almost a juicy aspect in the finish. I like this a lot, really a lot!
2020 Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cherbaudes
Under Mazis, the oldest vines of the estate, they were 100 years old in 2012 – of course, there are some replacements – but only about 15%…
Narrower but pure above but a breadth of fine red fruit below. Plush, red-fruited, a floral style to this flavour. Very delicious wine.
A selection of Domaine Ghislaine Barthod:
2020 Bourgogne
From Bon Batons, ‘very rocky for a Bourgogne’
A fleshy red fruit, modest intensity but attractive. Very silky for Bourgogne and very delicious already. Hold or drink – with pleasure.
2020 Chambolle-Musigny
From 9 parcels from right around the appellation.
A fine, almost candied nose – not full power but very attractive. Wide, mineral, with clarity of flavour, modest tannin yet a virile finishing intensity. Fine character here.
2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Beaux Bruns
Usually, the first parcel to be picked in Chambolle – a warm place – the acidity can quickly reduce making an over-rich wine.
A width of extra complexity. A wine thats more structural in style. Finer tannin, almost no grain until the very end. Also with more dimension of flavour in finish. Super
2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Sentiers
Just one barrel.
Hmm, that’s a very lovely nose, almost a textured cushioning to it. Sleek, direct, layered slowly mouthwatering – this I really love…
2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Veroilles
The domaine holds the monopoly of 1er cru part (since 1985) of this vineyard – but it’s still quite small – only 0.30 ha – the villages part they share with Bruno Clair. The original parcel of Varoilles was all 1er but Bruno and Ghislaine took away some of the forest to plant which was in the AOC but given only villages level by the INAO
An open and airy nose, slowly growing in density. Fuller, fresh too though. Mouth-watering in intensity. That’s very delicious too.
2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Les Cras
On white soil in the middle of the village where there’s more marne. There’s some red soil too – that’s with Méo and Roumier.
Starts with some reduction, slowly relaxing as the air does its work. Super elegant, fresh, mineral and direct in style. Chalky finishing. A beauty!
And now something from further south:
Clément has 4.5 hectares in Beaujolais today including some new parcels in 2020. The grandmother of his dad was from Beaujolais and Louis also did his studies in the Mâconnais while working at Château Poncié. They are converting about half a hectare of vines each year, pruning for organic viticulture – “But it’s a long process. 75% of what we have in Burgundy is already organic, I’m aiming for all by 2025 but it will be more like 2030 in Beaujolais. It’s the Côte d’Or that’s paying for the Beaujolais investment – without that support, it wouldn’t be possible in the Beaujolais.”
2020 Moulin à Vent Vieilles-Vignes
From 4 parcels averaging over 65-years-old
A modest nose, fresh, very faintly saline. Mouth-filling, saline flavour too, with layered delivery of that flavour – super.
2020 Moulin à Vent Les Rouchaux
This seems much riper, almost a stewed fruit impression today. You don’t get the stewed aspects of the nose in the flavours though. Here there is much to appreciate.
2020 Moulin à Vent Les Brusselions
Lower altitude than the last wine, more sand, more ‘arid’.
Hmm – a calmer nose with some white pepper accents, before a growing floral comes to the fore. Wide, mineral, with extra freshness. That’s a lovely wine.
A much more floral nose – these are beautiful aromatics. In the mouth, it’s supple with a delicious purity of flavour. Long, perfumed flavour. Bravo!
Here is purity ad elegance combined – a great nose. Like the last but with even more energy – it’s also a little more structural too. A wine that laughs with you. Bravo!
2020 Moulin à Vent Plantier de Favre
A more finely divided complexity here. Hmm, thats concentrated but still fresh, lovely middle and finishing intensity. Holding very well. Ripe but never too much.
2020 Moulin à Vent Les Caves
The domaine’s oldest vines here – 85 – but small yields of 20hl/ha
A faint spice to the flowers here. Dark, concentrated but not heavy – there’s energy here too – this is at least excellent wine – possibly great MaV!
2020 Fleurie Grille Midi
A silky and wide nose – fine but less overtly complex. Nice in shape though.