Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle Musigny 1er cru Les Cras 1995
Burgundy, France. 13% alcohol. Cork. Source: cellar.
Fusty and showing signs decay, this smells of cured meat, undergrowth and earth. A sip reveals more animal - a gripping, rasping, horse flavoured animal. I would assume brettanomyces in bloom. Despite or because of this, there is structure and an expansiveness which makes this still quite enjoyable. Don't wait though, rust never sleeps. . .
Good.
88.
Now.
technorati tags: wine
11 comments:
I don't know about you, but if I had a bottle of French wine like that and it was brett-tainted or corked, I would be incredibly displeased... Somebody needs to invent wine insurance so that you can claim on any dodgy bottles that you buy.
Jesse,
The story is even worse (I don't want to sound like too much of a brett nazi though). This was my second and better bottle. The first was even more tainted!
Both were purchased at auction around 2001 and have since been 'perfectly' stored in my wine cabinet. I don't think there is any recourse on auction purchased wines and the whole issue to brett is controversial and I suspect non refundable.
The second bottle was quite enjoyable and I can see how some might have rated it more highly.
I think the salient message is to be careful what you buy at auction (ie why is it on sale in the first place) and be careful how long you wait / cellar wine for.
Most French wine in Australia has arrived by container and so has crossed the equator. More than likely the storage for the month or what ever the journey has taken is suboptimal and so various problems can occur, that would not occur in a bottle sourced in Europe.
I had the 1997 Cras 3 years and I would score it in retropect about 92. Wasn't Bretted in my case.
Funny, I had the 2004 of this wine recently and I commented "drink now" - great wine, but short finish and hard to believe it could go the distance.
Joe and Chaim,
I do wish I had tried this earlier, to at least see the evolution of the wine, rather than just the last stages.
Wow, sorry to hear it was so bretty. I adore what Ghislaine Barthod do - beautiful perfumed stuff that brett would make seem like even more of a betrayal. The 96 Beau Bruins was the first wine that turned me onto Chambolle, and when I tasted it (2 years ago) it felt like it had a good 5 years to run, maybe more...
Cameron,
Thankyou for the comment.
I'm also very fond of Ghislaine Barthod and even more so the commune. I guess the odd bretty bottle is one of the costs of drinking (slightly) older wine.
WIth all respect, Mrs. Barthod makes absolutly "cult" wines, and in my oppion, what you all call Brett, are game, mineral aromas, classic of her wine making style.
You have to try a few Burgundys of excepcional quality to really understand the perfection this women achives.
From Spain, a Burgundy lover.
Anon,
I'm commonly accused of not knowing what I'm talking about, but usually only by loved ones. . . I have great respect and fondness for Barthod (and many other producers) and my note I feel is very balanced and reflects what was in MY (two) bottles.
anduciI am anonymous because I do not know how this stuff really works, My name is Fernando Pardo.
I just want to say that those "brett" aromas that you talk about are commonly mistaken with "bottle agening" aromas, those gamy, spicy, soy aromas.
Í don´t know what you usually drink, just what I have seen in your list of Wines Tasted, and they mostly very far away of what I understand of great wines.
Fernando,
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I can sense your passion and knowledge and I suspect it is not your intention to impugn my palate. I also suspect this will remain a bottle we disagree on.
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