Domaine Ghislaine Barthod

Ghislaine Barthod is one of the most sought-after names in Chambolle-Musigny, a village renowned for its charming and graceful Burgundy. Unlike many of her peers, Ghislaine only makes Chambolle, but despite this apparent simplicity, she has 11 individually challenging and delicious premiers crus spread across the commune. Her Pinot Noirs can be reticent when young, even her Bourgogne, but they are spellbinding when mature. Ghislaine has a remarkable ability to define each plot’s individual terroir. Her son, Clément, has recently joined her in managing the domaine, a commitment he also shares with his father’s domaine, the eponymous Louis Boillot.

Ghislaine follows traditional methods of vinification and carefully ages her wines. The grapes are partially destemmed before going into the fermentation vats. Only natural yeasts are used. The more sluggish start encountered when working with wild yeast gives the must a natural period of maceration before fermentation begins. The length varies from 2 to 5 days and is dependent upon temperatures. After fermentation, the wines are racked into small barrels (about 20% to 25% of which are new) and aged for about 20 months. These wines are particularly ageworthy and offer the rare privilege of deeply exploring the terroir of this singular village.