The 2014 Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru les Vergers has a fragrant bouquet with hints of chamomile and white chocolate infusing the shimmering citrus fruit. Lovely tension here and that translates across to the palate. This is very well balanced, harmonious with hints of white peach and orange zest threaded through the vibrant finish. What a gorgeous Chassagne from winemaker David Croix, potentially one of the best of dozens of Chassagne-Montrachets that I tasted from barrel. I expect this to settle at the top of my banded score once in bottle.

The 2009 Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers, from the northern side of Chassagne, is a touch shy and inward at this stage. With time in the glass, layers of fruit begin to emerge, supported by a fine vein of minerality. This, too, turns warm and radiant on the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2019. I was very impressed with the wines I tasted at Camille Giroud. While the top selections are hugely successful, readers should also pay attention to the village wines, which deliver plenty of character at accessible prices. Most of the wines are made from purchased fruit sourced from growers with whom the winery has long term relationships. The harvest took place between the 8th and 15th of September. Sugar levels were higher than in 2005. Macerations were on the long side in 2009, and ranged from 19-24 days versus the more typical 12-17. Most of the wines were made from 100% destemmed fruit, although a few selections – the Corton-Rognets and Chambertin in particular – saw some whole bunches. Malos were completed between February and April 2010 and the wines were not racked during their aging. Bottling began just after harvest 2010 for some of the early maturing reds, but most of the wines were still in barrel at the time of my visit in late February, with the exception of the Grands Crus, most of which had been racked into steel and were awaiting bottling towards the end of March. I also had a chance to taste some 2009 whites. All of the Camille Giroud 2009 whites were bottled in January 2011. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Grand Cru Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 974-2500, AOC Imports, CA; tel. (415) 279-8708; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640

Camille Giroud’s 2006 Chassagne-Montrachet Vergers offers a heady nose of gardenia, talcum, and lemon candy. Surprisingly delicate in the mouth for all of the signals of ripeness that the nose gives out, this pits a sense of chalk and stone against lightly caramelized peach and candied lemon. A polished, silken, soothingly lees-enriched texture adds to the allure, and the wine finishes with creamy, dreamy length. While no doubt capable of cellaring for six or more years (and Croix is diligently pursuing the aim of age-worthiness) this will be hard to resist in its youth. Readers should consult issues 160 and 170 for details on this house owned by Ann Colgin and a group of Americans. They and their winemaker David Croix are as he puts it “trying to develop our program with whites, but it’s really hard to find good material.” The 2006 whites here prove that even with a relatively late harvest, one did not have to sacrifice clarity or minerality, nor be burdened with high alcohol. Clearly, this team is exercising unusual vigilance with their handful of growers. Croix took these wines from barrel early – after passive contact on the lees and careful preservation of CO2 – and then held them in tank for several months (the condition in which I tasted all but one them) before bottling unfined and unfiltered. The aim of extended time in tank was to further preserve freshness, and to insure that the wines and their levels of sulfur would remain stable. Various Importers. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70