Camille Giroud in 2001

Camille Giroud Chambertin ''Clos de Beze'' 2001 Grand Cru

Camille Giroud founded this estate in 1965 and became known for traditional and long aged burgundy wines.  In 2002 he sold to Ann Colgin and husband who renovated the winery and mixed modern and traditional wine making and became recognized as producing a more ''approachable'' Burgundy.

This 2001 was quite an interesting bottle to taste, the last year before the knew owners came to the winery.  Although 2001 wasn't the greatest year in burgundy you wonder how the selling of the winery played a part in the wine making and passion that went into this vintage for Camille Giroud.

This wine had a wonderful nose of soil, steak and charcoal and on the palate layers of mushroom, terroir, and red meat. Not much fruit however... we opened 3 bottles of this stuff and the first had the best fruit showing with nice sour cherry notes that balanced with the meatiness.  2 hours later tasting the third bottle it was as if someone took a perfect wine and subtracted the fruit from it completely.  Che peccato! With it's very nervy acidity this wine should be paired with food.

on a similar note....

Another wine past it's peak earlier in the night was this 1999 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault-Charmes.  The wines fruit had disappeared and was left with a grand minerality, traces of oak and some honey and oxidation character.  We opened three bottles of this as well and there was really only one survivor that was still drinkable.