2007 Camille Giroud Nuits-St.-Georges Les Vaucrains

Maison Camille Giroud is a 2.5-acre estate in Beaune and a negociant. It was founded in 1865 and remained in the Giroud family for several generations. Then in 2002 a consortium of American investors, including famed Napa Valley winemaker Ann Colgin, purchased the estate. The influential American Burgundy exporter Becky Wasserman helped arrange the deal and recruited David Croix as winemaker. Maison Camille Giroud makes Premier Crus from parcels in Beaune, Maranges, Volnay, Savigny and Vosne-Romanee, as well as villages wines. Clive Coates calls the Camille Giroud “the most exciting of the smaller negociants in Burgundy.

Les Vaucrains is a 15.5-acre Premier Cru vineyard in Nuits-Saints-Georges, in Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. It is in the southern part of of the appellation. Because there are no Grand Cru vineyards in Nuits-Saints-Georges, the appellation’s considerable reputation rests on its excellent Premier Crus. Burgundy writer Clive Coates calls this vineyard part of the “greatest climat in Nuits-Saint-Georges.” The vineyard is 260 – 280 meters in elevation with rocky soil heavy with sand and clay. Coates calls Les Vaucrains “vigorous and rich and full-bodied.”

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.