Maison Camille Giroud ranks among the most venerable as well as the most dynamic of the boutique négociants in Burgundy. Founded in 1865, Giroud earned an impeccable reputation over the last 150 years as a specialist in traditional vins de garde. Their principal business model was to acquire wines from the top vineyards and after aging them in seasoned barrels, selling the fully mature wines.
In 2001, Giroud was acquired by a group of investment bankers led by wine collector Joe Wender and his wife, Napa cult vintner Ann Colgin. They hired wunderkind David Croix not only to manage the distinguished cellar but also to begin acquiring grapes and making first-class wines. Croix accomplished this goal with flying colors and has now been succeeded by the highly-talented Carel Voorhuis.
The estate owns only 1.13 hectares (2.79 acres) of vineyards, with the majority of production coming from purchased grapes. These grapes are sourced from either organic or sustainable farms, depending on the origin of the fruit. Sourcing grapes from all over the Côte d’Or, their wines represent a diverse range of terroirs.
As for the winemaking, all the grapes are sorted using a vibrating table and a sorting table. The whites are then pressed as whole grapes and cold settled. Only minimal SO2 is added to the must. Fermentation takes place with ambient yeasts and the wine is aged for 12-24 months in barrels ranging from 225L to 600L (with 0-30% new barrels). The wine is rarely stirred and there is no fining, with gentle filtration only when necessary.
The reds are either fully or partially destemmed. A minimal amount of SO2 is added to the must. The wine ferments with ambient yeasts in open vats for 12-25 days, with regular punch-downs and pump-overs. It is then aged in barrels (0-30% new) for 12-24 months. There is no fining and gentle filtration is used only when necessary.
Maison Camille Giroud occupies a singular niche in Burgundy: it is at the same time among the most dependable and exciting sources of fully mature, traditional Burgundy, and one of the best sources for transparent, terroir-driven current-vintage Burgundy.
