This has a delicious fresh purple colour with good depth, though the nose is reticent – fresh and bright but not yet delivering detail. There’s fine, clean powerful fruit right across the palate, with mineral freshness behind. This is a cooler site which gives it the crunch at the back.

David Croix started picking here on 11th September, two days before he began at Camille Giroud. This was a much easier harvest than 2013, as there was much less hail than the previous vintage. The wines have an elegance and freshness to them that appeals enormously, and yet does not hide their impressive concentration.

Brilliant, glowing mid-purple with a very fine, silky nose; this is really classy. To optimise the finesse of this vineyard David does more pumping over than punching down and it is paying dividends. Very sensual in the mouth, top marks.
Jasper Morris MW, Burgundy Wine Director

The average yield across the domaine this year is 25 hl/ha, well below par, but not the catastrophe which was visited on some, and these 2012s are clearly David’s best wines yet. He found them easy to vinify, though they have required some careful management in barrel because they are so concentrated and compact. The grapes were completely healthy and showed the best analytical balance one could ask for, mostly between 12.5% to 13% alcohol and ideal acidity to preserve freshness.

You can really feel the microclimate here, with the position high at the top of the hill on limestone soil adding a refreshing minerality and chalky structure to accompany the bright red cherry fruit. Impressive persistence too. Drink 2022-2029.
Adam Bruntlett, Burgundy Buyer

The former Domaine Duchet in Beaune was bought in 2005 by American Roger Forbes and his co-investors, and entrusted to the care of David Croix, the gifted winemaker for Camille Giroud. The estate has been renamed Domaine des Croix, in honour of David and also the numerous stone crosses to be found in the vineyards. The original Beaune and Corton-Charlemagne vineyards have since been supplemented by Aloxe-Corton, Corton La Vigne au Saint and Corton Grèves. The vineyards are farmed organically. The only thing David Croix doesn’t like in 2016 is the lack of volume. He was full of praise for the quality of the vintage, explaining that the grapes were very healthy at harvest despite the difficult season, and said the aromas in the winery during fermentation were glorious. He describes the wines as “harmonious, with nothing that is out of balance”. No Bourgogne was made this year, there are tiny volumes of village wines and several of the Beaune Premiers Crus have been blended to make a single wine. In fact, only Corton-Charlemagne has achieved anything like a normal yield.