Tasted in Beaune with David Croix, 07 November, 2016.
Maison Camille Giroud
3 Rue Pierre Joigneaux
21200 Beaune
Tel: +33 3 80 22 12 65
www.camillegiroud.com (inactive)
David on 2015:
“2015 – the expectations are easy – high! Potentially the very best vintage I’ve seen for pinots, but I’m always suspicious of sunny vintages. Of-course there was the drought, but we fortunately got rain when we needed it.
“2015 wasn’t always easy, the balance is relatively unusual as there is ripeness and freshness due to cool nights – you can see that from the pHs which are on a level with ‘more classic’ vintages. The thing about 2015 is that you’re not tired after tasting them – there’s no palate fatigue like with some vintages. In style, maybe 5+10 that would equal 15 too!
The wines here have not yet been racked after malo.”
The wines…
A range of wines with levels from very good to spectacular. A very worthy last vintage for Mr Croix at this old maison.
‘Great balance in this vintage,’ really the only ‘blend’ of the vintage. Fruit from the Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune and a little from the Côte de Nuits. Will be racked before Christmas.
Bright, open slightly croquant dark fruit nose – super. Round, some intensity, layers of fine and bright flavour. Depth, texture too. Not just a pretty face. Super for the label.
Used to make Les Chaillots, here switched to Levrie near Chaillots.
Ooh, a little extra texture and depth. Slightly redder fruit. Detail in the flavour, rather more intense and long. Excellent.
2015 Marsannay Longeroies
Deeper, wider, 40% whole cluster, slowly becoming floral. An undertow of subtle reduction. A little more structure, but fresh and intense dark fruit. A hint of licorice and more back-end finishing flavour. Almost spiced. Yum!
2015 Gevrey-Chambertin
Les Crais 80%, plus Croix des Champs.
Soft, faintly oaked, in more of a red fruit direction vs the Marsannay. Wider, fuller, beautifully textured, showing oak, some coconut. We checked a younger barrel, no oak flavour here, just the faint texture of oak in the finish. Always a super wine chez CG.
Flagey – bordering the Clos de Vougeot, 1st time for a long time no whole cluster, due to oïdium, so all destemmed.
Deep, vibrant, muscled crunchy dark fruit. Vibrant, faintly mineral, energy and melting flavours on the palate, faintly saline – bravo!
2015 Santenay 1er Comme
20% new oak when assembled, here from a new barrel.
A different, slightly redder colour. Round, a little oak sweetening, lithe, nice mineral slightly saline line. Super finishing. Tough for any wine to follow the Vosne, and this is a very different beast, but really an attractive one in this vintage.
2015 Beaune 1er Les Avaux
A deep, primary fruit, less engaging (later malo here). Mouth-filling, a little tannin texture but then a slowly mouth-watering flavour. Wide in the finish…
A more concentrated and silky fruit, whole clusters here. Layers of salted fruit. Minerality growing as you follow. Gorgeous.
2015 Volnay 1er Les Lurets
Here is a gorgeous clarity of fruit, it’s still not yet opened out, but it will… Mineral, a little mire architectural in shape, mouth-watering flavours leaching from the tongue. A finish that has a modest coating of tannin. This needs to grow, but the material is super.
2015 Morey St.Denis Clos Solon
Dark fruit with a suggestion of salinity. A little muddled than others after a late malo. A beautiful train, of fine acidity and line in to the finish though – this just needs a little more time.
Ethereal dark , floral fruit. Wow, on the palate, lithe, gorgeousness of dark-fruited clarity but just as importantly character. Exemplary wine. Bravo!
2015 Nuits St.Georges 1er Aux Boudots
Started with this cuvée in 2013, didn’t buy the 14, but bought again in 15. Planning eventually buy the fruit. Buy as wine so-far, but send own barrels.
Just a little later in elevage, but the nose opens and opens with more flowers, fruit and spice. Some structure, but layers of flavour, fresh and beautifully mouth-watering, faintly spiced chocolate in the finish. Lovely.
Ooh, depth! Encompassing, spice, florals and some(40%) whole-cluster. This is brilliant, the smells makes me think of Musigny. Wide, super volume, concentration, layers. Simply fabulous wine.
Wow depth to this nose; faint reduction, but clarity of fruit. Wide, fleshy, with beautiful texture and amazing depth. A wow width of floral fruit in the finish too!
2015 Charmes-Chambertin
Ethereal, waves of silken aroma – yes! Opulent, yet elegant, the flavours slowly opening in a mineral way, fine and faintly saline finishing. A wine of broad notes but delicacy. Excellent.
Not a punch, rather a nose that’s wide and super fine, even elegant, but certainly no lack of complexity. The palate is simply an open-ended complexity, and of beautiful texture too. Not a hirsute and masculine Chambertin, rather Charmes-plus-plus! Beautiful stuff!
From Petits Maupertuis.
More reduced. This needs more swirling. The nose becomes more floral, dark, deep and certainly muscular – it has a brooding quality but with great transparency. Big, showing brightness but it’s a perfectly textured brightness. A long line of complex flavour with some structure – maybe less rare in 2015, but this is first class Clos de Vougeot, and I’m a great admirer of Clos de Vougeot.
A little white to finish:
2015 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Tête du Clos
Wide, with some freshness of aroma if a rather a tight depth. Wide and with fine freshness on the palate too, a wine of texture. Oh, and mid-palate minerality. and tasty length!