Ghislaine Barthod Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Aux Beaux Bruns 2004 13.5%
Amazing nose: bretty notes at first give way to overtones of maple syrup, kirsch, plum, something a little sauvage. Lightish red toward the edges of the glass, no purple discernible, definitely shows some age.
When I drank this wine on earlier occasions, I was impressed by its almost crystalline structure—very pure dark and red pinot fruits, balanced by noticeable acidity, with a long, clear finish. That has seemingly collapsed, revealing, to my surprise a somehow bigger wine: very powerful, almost syrupy, with deep, dark, rich cherry and almost plum sauce flavor, open-knit, with the rich fruit surrounded by something more primal that keeps every sip interesting. I wonder if this increase in power, accompanied by some loss of subtlety, is relatively common in somewhat older burgundy; it isn’t in my experience, but perhaps with some of the better wines?