Domaine Ghislaine Barthod
Domaine Ghislaine Barthod is a highly esteemed wine estate located in Chambolle-Musigny, in the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy, France. Originally founded in 1929 as Domaine Barthod-Noëllat by Gaston Barthod and Marcel Noëllat, the domaine has been led by Ghislaine Barthod since 1999. Under her guidance, the estate has become a benchmark for Chambolle-Musigny, producing Pinot Noir wines known for their finesse, precision, and expression of terroir.
The domaine comprises just under 6 hectares of vineyards, nearly all within Chambolle-Musigny, and has been farmed organically since 2002, though it is not certified. Vineyard practices are meticulous, with manual harvesting, strict pruning, and green harvesting used to ensure low yields and concentrated fruit. The vines average over 30 years in age and grow in thin topsoil over limestone gravel, a key contributor to the elegance and minerality in Barthod’s wines.
In the cellar, Ghislaine employs a traditional and minimal-interventionist approach: grapes are fully destemmed, followed by a short cold soak and fermentation using indigenous yeasts. The wines are then aged for around 18 months in small oak barrels, with no more than 30% new oak, and bottled without fining or filtration. The result is wines that are pure, aromatic, and structured, with the ability to age gracefully for decades.
Domaine Ghislaine Barthod produces several cuvées that highlight Chambolle’s terroirs. Notable wines include the village Chambolle-Musigny, a blend of nine parcels, and a range of Premier Cru bottlings such as Les Fuées, Les Cras, Les Gruenchers, Les Beaux Bruns, Les Châtelots, Les Véroilles, and the rare Aux Combottes. Each cru offers a unique expression, from the floral elegance of Les Fuées to the deeper, more mineral-driven Les Cras. The estate also produces a Bourgogne Rouge “Les Bons Bâtons,” which offers an accessible glimpse into the Chambolle style, and more recently, a Bourgogne Blanc “Les Graviers,” aged in used oak and terracotta jars for a crisp, mineral expression.
Today, Ghislaine is joined by her partner Louis Boillot, a respected vigneron in his own right, and their son Clément, who is emerging as a winemaker in Beaujolais. With consistently high demand and limited production, Domaine Ghislaine Barthod's wines are allocated and treasured by collectors and Burgundy lovers worldwide for their purity, balance, and depth of terroir expression.