The 2012 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Baudes is endowed with a more reticent bouquet that demands more coaxing from the glass. But what scents emerge are very well defined and stony. The palate is medium-bodied with a structure entry that feels full in the mouth. It is relatively assertive compared to the other premier crus with fine tension towards the linear and focused finish. Sure, this is not as charming as the Beaux-Bruns, but more intellectual perhaps. Seeking a master-class in the premier crus of Chambolle-Musigny? Look no further than here, where Ghislaine Barthod crafts a small flotilla of wines from within the ambit of her maison that she shares with Louis Boillot (see separate entry.) I have been closely following Ghislaine’s wines for over a decade: reliable, dependable and predisposed to reflecting the vagaries of the growing season. These are not polished wines, not even wines craving to score points. They are wines that I want to buy and drink with friends. The picking commenced on 22 September after the travails of the growing season that I will not regurgitate here. Of course, the barrels were at different stages of evolution when we tasted through the crus, which Ghislaine explained was partly due to temperature variations within the cellar (for example, the section underneath the house being slightly warmer than the part underneath the garden.) What I appreciated about these wines is that they articulated the vagaries of each climat, and tasting through these wines was akin to taking a sensory tour of the appellation. So while Les Cras was stony and severe, the Beaux-Bruns is rounded and affable, the Gruenchers more standoffish and distant. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchant, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990