2009 Camille Giroud Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru

The 2009 Corton-Charlemagne is made from vineyards in two spots; the first in Rognets, the second in Le Charlemagne . It shows excellent richness and pliancy, but it is the least expressive of these 2009 whites, most likely because of its recent bottling. Still, there is more than enough stuffing here for me to think all this needs is further time in bottle. The Corton-Charlemagne was bottled in February 2011. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2019. I was very impressed with the wines I tasted at Camille Giroud. While the top selections are hugely successful, readers should also pay attention to the village wines, which deliver plenty of character at accessible prices. Most of the wines are made from purchased fruit sourced from growers with whom the winery has long term relationships. The harvest took place between the 8th and 15th of September. Sugar levels were higher than in 2005. Macerations were on the long side in 2009, and ranged from 19-24 days versus the more typical 12-17. Most of the wines were made from 100% destemmed fruit, although a few selections – the Corton-Rognets and Chambertin in particular – saw some whole bunches. Malos were completed between February and April 2010 and the wines were not racked during their aging. Bottling began just after harvest 2010 for some of the early maturing reds, but most of the wines were still in barrel at the time of my visit in late February, with the exception of the Grands Crus, most of which had been racked into steel and were awaiting bottling towards the end of March. I also had a chance to taste some 2009 whites. All of the Camille Giroud 2009 whites were bottled in January 2011. A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet, various American importers, including: Grand Cru Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 974-2500, AOC Imports, CA; tel. (415) 279-8708; Toepfer Imports LLC, CO; tel. (303) 818-7640