The 2015 Beaune 1er Cru Aux Cras includes 30% whole cluster this year. It has an ebullient bouquet with blueberry and violet aromas, the palate tensile from the start. There is not a huge weight here, but it compensates with precision and focus on the finish, even if I find that it does not convey the same precision as its Les Avaux sibling.

The 2012 Beaune 1er Cru Les Cras comes from 90-year-old vines. It was showing a lot of reduction just after its sulfur addition, but peering beneath there are vibrant brambly fruit, an appealing edginess on the palate and plenty of tense dark cherries and Dorset plum that will burst forth once the wine is ready. This has very good potential, but patience will be necessary. Both Volnays appear to have shrugged off the hail that fell on June 30. Maison Camille Giroud is one of Burgundy’s stalwarts that can trace its roots back to 1886. I became acquainted with their wines in the 1990s and to be truthful they languished behind their peers: rather rustic fare that might have been acceptable in the 1970s, but not any longer. When a group of investors, including Ann Colgin and Joe Wender, bought Camille Giroud in 2002, they sought a young, talented winemaker to take the negociant by the scruff of the neck and kick-start a renaissance. That is exactly what happened when David Croix was hired as regisseur in 2005. Most of the fruit is contracted, though like Albert Bichot across the road, David prefers not to distinguish them from the two crus that are owned by the estate. David manages the vineyards and has summarized his policy: one contracted grower per cru in order to articulate a sense of place. “The wines from Camille Giroud tend to be more delicate than Domaine des Croix,” David explained, “and need less barrel aging. They tend to show red fruit, more cherries than my own wines.” In 2012, there are far fewer crus to choose from since yields were down 50% and some significant contracts, the likes of Latricieres-Chambertin and Corton Clos des Roi, were cancelled in their entirety since there was no fruit, which after all is helpful if you want to make wine. Still, what David Croix has managed to eke out from a challenging season is worth seeking out: refined and feminine wines that make up in freshness what might be missing in complexity. Plus they succeed in expressing their terroir as David always intends. Importer: Becky Wasserman Selections (Le Serbet) and through various US importers (see www.leserbet.com for full list.)

The 2010 Beaune Les Cras is deep, sensual and totally beautiful. Intense floral notes lead to juicy black cherries in this supple, totally engaging wine. There is an exotic quality to the aromas and flavors that makes the Cras utterly irresistible. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. Winemaker David Croix describes 2010 as being similar to 2002, but with more tension. The harvest started on September 23. About two-thirds of the wines were lightly chaptalized. None of these wines had been racked at the time of my visit in November 2011. Giroud fans will note the addition of two new Volnays to the lineup. I will report on the maison’s 2009s in the April issue. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including Grand Cru Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 974-2500; Veritas Imports, Beverly Hills, CA; tel. (310) 205-3803; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640

The 2009 Beaune Les Cras is an explosive, fat wine bursting with dark red fruit, sweet herbs, spices and flowers. This is a decidedly large-scaled, opulent Beaune, yet all of the elements flow together with notable grace. Cras is one of the vineyards farmed directly by Giroud. The wine finished its malo in December 2009. The Cras was bottled in February 2010. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. I was very impressed with the wines I tasted at Camille Giroud. While 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. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Willette Wines, NJ; tel. (917) 400-2238; Veritas Imports, Beverly Hills, CA; tel. (310) 205-3803; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640