2005 Camille Giroud Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Vaucrains 1er Cru

The 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Vaucrains smells of lightly-cooked black raspberry, cedar, and clove. Meaty and substantial on the palate with marrowy sweetness, rich black fruit, and subtle undertones of chalk, this is a wine of formidable density, fine-grained tannic structure, and significant aging potential, yet with plenty of flattering fat. Readers are referred to Pierre Rovani’s report in Issue 160 for details on the acquisition of this house in 2002 by Ann Colgin and a group of Americans, and on Becky Wasserman’s directorial role. At only around 4,500 cases, 2005 will represent their largest production yet, “and we’ll stay small,” says young, manifestly-talented winemaker David Croix. Croix works intensively in the vineyard with most of his suppliers. He ages the wines largely in newly-purchased but once-used barrels, augmented by a low percentage of new casks. I tasted all of the wines immediately prior to their first racking which was late, explains Croix (despite malo-lactic fermentations early by 2005 standards), because the quality of the fruit deserved the enrichment and protection of long lees contact and a slightly reduced state. They will be bottled without filtration in March or April. Various Importers. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet; fax 011- 333-80-24-29-70.