Tasted blind at the Burgfest 2014 tasting, Camille Giroud's 2014 Chambertin Grand Cru has an arresting, quite oriental-scented bouquet with touches of hoisin and cooked meats infusing the dark red berry fruit. With time, there is a faint touch of cola that develops—a little strange. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe black fruit laced with truffle and a touch of black pepper. I appreciate the balance and focus of this Chambertin and it feels very long on the finish. Excellent. Tasted September 2017.

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Chambertin Grand Cru has a crisp bouquet with almost sultry raspberry and blackberry fruit, damp earth, perhaps even a hint of iodine in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, moderate depth though without the structure of some of its peers. There is class here, coveted away at present, yet there is certainly impressive mineralité on the finish that lingers in the mouth. Bravo David Croix -- this is an outstanding Chambertin. Tasted September 2016.

The 2012 Chambertin Grand Cru comes more from the Clos de Beze rather than the Latricieres side. The nose is not as expressive as the Lavaux St. Jacques in barrel, but with a few minutes in the glass it reveals seductive forest floor and briary scents. The palate is silky smooth on the entry thanks to one of the two barrels being new and lending it a polished sheen. As a consequence, it seems incongruous among David Croix’s 2012s because of that pronounced oak, although I suspect, I hope that it will be subsumed in time. This Chambertin shows good potential, but it will need several years in bottle. 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.)

Tasted blind at the Burgundy 2011 horizontal tasting in Beaune. Although there is a lot of oak on the nose of the 2011 Chambertin, it has plenty of red and black fruit on the nose with an attractive floral scent that gains intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, gently grippy tannins and an impressive symmetry and poise toward the finish. It does not quite have the finesse of others, but I suspect that will develop with bottle age.