2008 Camille Giroud, Chambertin Grand Cru

(aged in close to 50% new oak) Good bright, full red. High-toned aromas of peppery red fruits. Pliant, sweet and minerally, but with the wine's new oak component currently masking its underlying fruit. Ultimately suave in texture but tightens up on the back end and finishes with serious tannins and an iron flavor. (The Clos Vougeot showed very good potential but was gassy and reduced.)

From a mixture of contract fruit and purchased must, Camille Giroud’s 2008 Chambertin smells of tamarind, black licorice, dark, ripe cherry, purple plum, and blackberry. This typifies the tart edge and energy of the vintage and stains the palate impressively, even if it is less emphatic than the Latricieres. Dense and formidably tannic without being overbearing or rough, it should have a ten year potential if not greater. David Croix’s 2008 Camille Giroud collection was picked late; slow to evolve; and for the most part had not been bottled when I tasted in April. Although I missed out on a couple of wines in this year’s collection, the line-up from Camille Giroud was also smaller than in previous years. (I have not tasted the 2007s here. For details about the recent revival of Camille Giroud and about David Croix’s approach, readers are referred to reports in issues 160 and 170 respectively; and for reports on Croix’s own domaine, see under Domaine des Croix.) A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers); fax 011-333-80-24-29-70