2005 Domaine François Bertheau Chambolle-Musigny

Sourced entirely from sites south and high above the village, the Bertheau 2005 Chambolle-Musigny contrasts scents and flavors of lightly-cooked cherry with those of high-toned distilled kirsch, tart red currant, and bitter-sweet citrus oil. Subtle hints of flowers and raw meat become more evident from the empty glass. Silken and smooth on the palate yet all the while displaying brightness and invigoration, this finishes like a tart cherry pie with youthfully yeasty and singed pastry nuances. Here is a poised, refined and refreshing young wine of amazing quality given its village-level classification. Pierre and Francois Bertheau render textbook Chambolle, which means that pinotphiles who crave extroverted richness or overt sex appeal may find them less compelling than I do. (The stylistically contrasting Chambolles of Perrot-Minot and Bertheau went right to the top of my own shopping list this vintage.) Interestingly, although only modestly saturated in color, all of Bertheau’s wines have that mysterious blackish hint at the rim that many old-timers will tell you is a distinctive mark of Pinot. The Chambolle and Chambolle 1er Cru are rotated out of their largely used barriques after the first year and rest for 3-4 months in large traditional fuders. All of the wines are bottled (unfiltered) at the same time, which in this instance was a mere two weeks before my late February visit. If they were laboring at all under the effects of this, then (with one exception) I would be amazed, because I find it hard to imagine a clearer, more distinct set of personalities in young Pinot. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524 1524