Dominating the surrounding landscape, the dramatic hill of Corton is the source of two Grand Cru vineyards, Corton (mainly red) and Corton-Charlemagne (white). Comprised of three villages that intersect at this legendary knoll, today’s wine rests just below the Corton Grand Cru in the village of Ladoix-Serrigny. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Maison Camille Giroud back in 2007 with a group of fellow sommeliers. This charming micro-negociant more than lived up to its famous name and continues to deliver consistent quality at reasonable prices across the board. Camille Giroud has been a celebrated small negociant in Burgundy since 1865. The firm once specialized sales of, “vins de garde,” which are wines that are specifically built to age and enjoy in maturity. Lucien Giroud inherited the firm and left it to his two sons who endeavored to vinify wine from select vineyard sites across Burgundy. With time, they built the Camille Giroud name into one synonymous with quality and terroir-driven wines. The negoce house not only purchases fruit from select growers, but they also possess some of their own well-chosen vineyards as well. This particular example is the 2013 Ladoix “Les Chaillots” that offers a classic flavor profile of an intense Corton Rouge with a price tag that will not last long on the market.

 

Although the famous negoce house was sold to an American group in 2002, they had the foresight to hire David Croix as winemaker. Under Monsieur Croix, Camille Giroud has produced wines with a clear voice of terroir and vintage. Hailed by critics across the board, his non-interventionist style delivers consistently classic Burgundy with the imprint of each unique vintage and the soil from which it is derived. Thanks to gentle fermentation and minimal use of new French oak, this wine delivers a pristine and frank expression of Pinot Noir with uncommon pedigree thanks to its advantageous situation next to the Grand Cru Corton. Les Chaillots, which translates to, “pebbles,” in French, is a terroir-driven site that is comprised of limestone, alluvial sand, and gravel, resulting a wine of distinct minerality and age-worthy structure. In keeping with the quality that bears the Camille Giroud name, this wine encapsulates everything a quality red Burgundy should and drinks well above its remarkable price point.