2007 Domaine François Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes 1er Cru

With a strikingly polished, creamy texture as well as seductively bittersweet scents and flavors of iris, rowan, peony, red licorice, pistachio extract, cherry, and cherry pit, the Bertheau 2007 Chambolle-Musigny Les Charmes really lives up to its name. Musky, floral, and dark forest floor nuances lend real intrigue, and I expect that this admirably persistent Pinot to stay in suspended decadence and animation for at least the next 6-8 years. Francois Bertheau’s tendency toward rendering frisky, sharply-etched and sharp-edged Pinot was practically bound to be accentuated by 2008 vintage character, and the quality of results varied considerably by appellation. Asked which of 2007 and 2008 were more challenging, Bertheau answered, in English, “fifty-fifty,” but this is one address where I found the softer, riper, if relatively diffuse personality of the former vintage more satisfying. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524