Tasted in Beaune with David Croix, 13 December 2022.
Domaine des Croix
2 Rue Colbert
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 22 41 81
More reports for Domaine des Croix
David on 2022:
I’m happy with the year – of course, it’s another hot one. Starting to harvest September 1st – the crop isn’t so abundant as in some places as we made plenty of wine in 2021 so the vines were not compensating. Whites had the frost so that’s where there’s the most compensation. Yes, some of the fermentations were slow, more so than in 2020. But all are done now.”
David on 2021:
Actually, I had a little more wine than in 2020 – though a) 2020 had low yields due to the lack of water and b) we were not badly frosted. I was almost traumatized by 7 hl/ha that we had in 2016 – after that experience, we started to prune later and later – actually our Charlemagne was finished on the 30th March – we had no candles and it delivered 30 hl/ha. The Cortons – reds – suffered more than the Beaunes so had a little lower yields. Actually, the Cortons were the only place that I used some candles too!”
The wines…
On this day, the Cortons were less great than I’ve become accustomed to – but the Beaunes and Savignys were singing. Undoubtedly the reference wines for Beaune together with those of Domaine Albert Morot.
“There’s still a chance that the wines could be bottled sooner, though I’m not in a rush to sell any of these wines – I took nearly two years to bottle the 2020s but these already seem to have plateaued, so could be done in the Spring. These were bombs of fruit in October – I asked myself ‘what did I do in September?’ – they are calmer now but have lost nose of the precision:”
2021 Savigny-lès-Beaune
This mainly went into David’s Bourgogne in previous years – but he’s now happy enough to let it stand on its own
Bright berry attack! Broad, perfumed red fruit. Super intensity in the middle. The finish is super. Strict – so you may be better off waiting a year or two for it to fill out and soften – but this is excellent!
2021 Beaune
From 2 parcels with about 10% stems – and they are aromatically present but perfumed. Fuller but just as incisive – fine red fruit with the added perfume in the roses-style. Open, almost a little mineral. Super!
Beautiful – what a width of perfume here. Melting, fluid flavours – a touch of intensity – just a hint more comfort needed for the ultimate wine to sink into to forget the world
Again, beautifully perfumed wine – crystalline! Ooh – outstanding clarity of perfumed flavour – like the Cent Vignes there’s a hint of structure – of rigour – but that will ease – what a Savigny! Bravo!
2021 Beaune 1er Tuvillains
Ex Champy via some Paris investors… there was also some in 2016 – almost – which went into the generic 1er. 80-year-old vines
A broader, more cushioned nose with extra complexity, still some floral perfume. The first where you see a little tannin framing the incisive fruit, but there’s no grain here. Broad finishing, the rigour of the last two is less present. Beautiful.
A deeper, more generous depth of slightly darker fruit. No stems here. Incisive, slightly saline, yes darker fruit on the palate too – a more direct wine. Not quite steely but certainly mineral. One of the most impressive but it needs time…
A cool area, with shallow topsoil closer to Pommard.
Not the laser focus/intensity of aroma of the previous wine – more airy and ethereal. Hmm, broad, melting, ooh that’s gorgeous – ethereal, brilliant wine. Melting wonderfully. Great wine!
Yes! What a beacon of direct perfume here! Broader, not exactly muscular but here is a fuller frame. The beacon of light in the finish too – what a finish – also grand vin! This and the previous are two different worlds, but they will be enthralling for the next 30 years – or more!
2021 Corton Vigne Au Saint
A big, broad nose – plenty of pine forest – ‘yes earlier in the elevage this had some pyrazine style but it getting better and better with elevage.’ Super shape in the mouth – just a mm of cushion – it’s beautiful. For my taste, I’m still not a buyer but it will still offer a more than interesting glass. Such low yields here – 10hl/ha
2021 Corton Grèves
Starting with width but with time it narrows at the top and widens at its chocolaty depth. Sleek, growing broad – a proper Corton of scale and structure but never with rigour – this will repay 10 years in your cellar and even more-so, 15 years. Excellent wine!
Et les whites:
2021 St.Romain
A golden fruit, a hint of steeliness too. Mouth-filling, bubbling with energy. Direct but so juicy! – yum!
2021 Corton-Charlemagne
Growing with perfume – what a great nose. Large scale in the mouth – such detail – such open-ness. Finishing with a lick of fine tannin. All the action today is at the start – the middle and finish need to add/show a little more before I would say ‘great’ but this has great aromatics and is an excellent wine. “Yes, I just need to find the right ‘container’ for the second part of the elevage…“