Pre-Arrival Offer: 2024 Domaine Francois Bertheau, Chambolle-Musigny

We have been importing François Bertheau’s wonderfully fruited, perfumed, classic and lacy Chambolles since the 2014 vintage. Over this short time there has been a growing chorus of praise from clients here in Australia. (Not to mention the list of pundits lining up to say great things globally, François works hard in his 6ha of vines; only Chambolle-Musigny, no other commune. He is determined to have healthy little bunches and he guides the wines through fermentation and ageing with great care and craft.

2024 -

Bertheau has done a magical job in the highly challenging, low-yielding (50% down) 2024 vintage . His wines, across the range, are spectacular, in his pure, bright, pristine, highly aromatic and silky, yet seriously structured, and ageable style. The grand crus have 50% new oak and are pristine and fully fruited, pure and ethereal, gorgeous and so dangerously delicious for wines that should be locked away for a decade or two!

I tasted the whole range in March this year and came away in awe of his achievements. Given the miniscule quantities coming out of Burgundy in 2024, we have included in the link below wines in the warehouse from both 2022 and 2023, too. Cheers, Randall.

NB: Payment due with orders. Wines are due early 2027.

"The Bertheau 2024s are a hedonistic treat... François has found the vivid and fruity side of the 2024 vintage. The Chambolle village is rather cool and vivid. Classic Chambolle minerality with fine acidity and refined mid-palate fruit. A delightful village." - Steen Ohman, Winehog

2024 Chambolle-Musginy
Pre-Arrival Offer: $220
NB: Only 10 bottles allocated to all of Australia this year!

Outstanding is what I wrote when I tasted it from the big (2700lt foudre, the total production). 'Pure raspberry coulis and spicy loveliness' I wrote. Silky, mouthfilling and classy. This is from 4 parcels: Creux Baissants, Gueripes, Forcheres and Les Argilleres (adjacent to Musigny) all contiguous lieu-dits and just above the band of 1er Crus, between Musigny Grand Cru and the village of Chambolle itself - great real estate.

"A pure nose combines the essence of red pinot fruit with spice and discreet floral wisps. The caressing, delicious and vibrant middle weight flavors possess an attractive mid-palate texture that contrasts mildly with the ever-so-mildly edgy finish. This lightly austere effort was displaying quite a bit of gas so it's quite possible that the edginess of the finish is attributable to its presence."
(a slightly "unfinished" barrel sample) 87-90 Pts. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

2024 Chambolle-Musginy, 1er Cru Les Charmes
Pre-Arrival Offer: $349
NB: Only 6 bottles allocated to all of Australia this year!

These vines are from a few plots forming .66 ha. François uses about 20% new barrels and this is incredibly floral, red-fruited and exotically spicy, with a sensual caressing texture that carries the very long palate onwards.

"This is aromatically similar to the 1er cuvée but with even more floral elements. The equally attractively and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors possess a lovely sense of underlying tension that carries over to the saline, lightly austere and balanced finale. Lovely and understated." 90-93 Pts. - Allen Meadows, Burghound

2024 Chambolle-Musginy, 1er Cru Les Amoureuses
Pre-Arrival Offer: $1300

From near 50yo vines in 2 small plots, one just across the small road from Musigny. This is distinctly different from the Bonnes Mares (see blind comparison opinion with the Bonnes Mares notes below. It's Grand Cru in all but name.

"The Amoureuses is the usual highlight here, although the Bonnes-Mares is getting better and better. The nose is flashing Chambolle minerality and a lovely vivid fruit – the usual notes of pomegranate and raspberries. A delightful Amoureuses.

(Drink From 2032) – Very Fine." 93-94 Pts. - Steen Ohman, Winehog

2024 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru
Pre-Arrival Offer: $1390

Francois "blinded" us on the Amoureuses (a grand cru in all but classification) and the Bonnes-Mares. As expected, it was easy to pick the wines and see the difference, the latter being darker, bigger and slightly more tannic, with more liquorice and earth. The former, by comparison, had more perfume, more raspberry and floral notes and more cranberry crunch and rocky minerality. Both are really exceptional! The Bertheau Bonnes-Mares plot is a "top to bottom" (rockier to deeper soils) plot situated in the epicentre of the Grand Cru site.

"The Bonnes-Mares is another level up from the sexy and delightful Amoureuses. It’s intense and quite powerful for this vintage. Deeper fruit and darker berries … in many ways, a classical Bonnes-Mares. Seems like Berthaut has gained another level on this wine since 2018." Outstanding! 95 Pts. - Steen Ohman, Winehog