2006 Chambolle Musigny Beaux Bruns
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Tasting notes
Assembled from tank before bottling when I last tasted it, Barthod's 2006 Chambolle-Musigny Les Beaux Bruns smells of wood smoke, brown spices, and blond tobacco, along with fresh cherry and rhubarb. The combination of tartness and slight tannic grip render the palate here somewhat severe, although there is also more sense of fullness exhibited by many of its fellow Barthod crus, and there is admirable concentration of spice, fruit, and smoky, herbal notes in the finish. This may smooth out after a couple of years in bottle, but I suspect some legacy of hail will remain, and I would be inclined to drink it within 4-5. Ghislaine Barthod's yields were low not only on account of hail (notably in Beaux Bruns and Charmes), she explained, but also on account of the relative paucity of juice in the berries. That said, as with so many of the best 2006s, Barthod's are generous and largely free of tannic severity. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Good medium red. Aroma of blueberry compote. The roasted, liqueur-like quality carries through on the palate, where the wine's fruit lacks verve and real sweetness of flavor. Seems at once compact and slightly cooked. Where can this go in bottle? Hail damage to the vines' leaves appears to have prevented this fruit from ripening fully.
Palish medium red. Slightly muddy raspberry aroma lacks this wine's normal floral lift. Soft, round and sweet, but a bit wishy-washy; there's a hint of minerality here but limited real definition and cut. Barthod usually picks this cru first but in 2006 she picked it last owing to problems with the ripening due to hail damage to the vines' leaves. Is this simply going through an awkward stage?
About the producer
A Burgundy icon and definitive voice of Chambolle-Musigny, crafting ethereal Pinot Noir with crystalline precision.