2009 Beaune Bressandes

The Beaune Bressandes is one of my favorite wines at this address. The 2009 is another strong effort. It is a tightly wound, inward wine with gorgeous aromatics and plenty of structure. The Bressandes remains focused through to the finish, but occasionally shows some of the fragrance and expressiveness that will develop as the tannins soften. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2027. David Croix is best known for the wines he makes at Camille Giroud, but the wines he produces under his own label, Domaine des Croix, are equally worthy of attention. The house style at Domaine des Croix is more overt and fruit-driven than at Camille Giroud. Domaine des Croix remains an excellent source for delicious, reasonably-priced Burgundies that drink well with minimum cellaring. Winemaking is fairly straightforward, just as it is at Camille Giroud. The wines are left on their lees with no racking until they are prepared for bottling. Typically Croix works with 100% destemmed fruit although in 2009 he used a small percentage of whole clusters in the Greves and Vigne Au Saint. New oak ranges from zero for the Bourgogne to 33% for the Corton-Greves. 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