2018 Barrel Tasting with David Croix

David Croix is a talented wine maker with deep knowledge of Corton and Beaune vineyards, in particular.

In 2001, aged just 24, he was appointed winemaker at famous old Domaine Camille Giroud. In 2005 he established his own label (Domaine des Croix). At the end of 2016 he retired from Camille Giroud and took up a job working with Jean-Marc Roulot at Domaine Roulot. After about a year there he is now working fulltime at Domaine des Croix.

I asked David to describe his 2017s (then in barrel). Similarly to Philippe Brun at Domaine Bruno Clair, he compared his 2017 reds with a theoretical blend of 2002s and 2000s. He thought that a more valid comparison than 2007.

2017 was Domaine des Croix's largest ever crop. David described the crop as "very clean" resulting in a "harmonious, pleasing vintage with a giving character". He also said that his 2017s were "lighter, bright, detailed and airy, quite lifted". He thought his 2017s would "drink well early and probably won't shut down". Still, typically, he'd "give the wines 5 - 7 + years".

He mentioned other recent vintages saying "my 2015s are my best vintage but 2016 is very good too". He said that 2014 is "more like 2011 or 2007s, so I extracted more there".

David said that he typically uses between 15 - 25% new oak on his reds, except for his Cortons where it is more like 30%+ new oak.

We tasted David's 2017s from barrel. They had all long ago finished malo.

• 2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune

  David said a wine made from a blend four different parcels of fruit which, he said gives "more complexity, different profiles". Vines average approximately 40 years of age and are up to 50 years old. A dark fruited but somewhat raw nose with earth and fresh herbs. On palate, dark, tart cherry, wet earth and spices. Below medium weight. A pleasant everyday wine to drink over the next five years or so.

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Aloxe-Corton Les Boutières

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Aloxe-Corton

  Vines 60 years old here. More refined black fruited perfumes than with the Beaune Villages, with more musk and spice. On palate, fresh and clean but rich and powerful. Refined but quite earthy and savoury, with black cherry, dark plum and blackberry. It also shows dried and fresh herbs, and some stalkiness, that I thought might show some whole bunch character (however, David confirmed that all fruit in this cuvée was 100% destemmed).

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Cent-Vignes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  An intriguing bouquet, meaty - perhaps, like lamb stew - earthy and spicy. Dry and savoury with hints of tobacco leaf on palate. Juicy, plump fruit, quite concentrated ("plums, but not jammy", said Mark). David mentioned the 60 year old vines here and that it was "an early ripening site", saying the Cent-Vignes has "more texture, flesh ... good line but generous". I agreed, an approachable, enjoyable Beaune 1er.

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Les Tuvilains

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Domaine des Croix's first vintage from this site. Vines 70+ years old. Musky, dark fruited, wet undergrowth and earthy aromas. "Sauvage", noted David. On palate, very rich, powerful and full, showing its old vine character. Blackberry, dark cherry and black plums with damp soil and brushwood. Also that wild, funky, sauvage element. The best wine so far.

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Better again, but a lower volume cuvée. David catalogued the weather problems with recent vintages at this site: 2017 frost damage; 2016 frost; 2015 heat; and each of 2012-2014 hail. Dark fruited, peaty damp soil and crushed rocks on the nose with a top note of mixed, dried herbs. Good matière and mid palate depth and concentration but finer, with more elegance and length, than the other wines to date. Whole bunch 20%. My second favourite 1er, after the Grèves.

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  A cooler site, more east than south east facing with 30 year old vines. "Clay with fragmented limestone", noted David. A distinctive bouquet of blackcurrents, nuts (walnuts, Andrew suggested), spices and wild raspberries and blackberries. In the mouth, a pure and clean expression, cooler and very finessed. Lighter bodied than most of the 1ers. Chiselled. Racy, but not over-prominent, acidity. Wild berries. A long, chalky, mineral finish. There was an austerity here I liked.

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Beaune 1er Cru Grèves

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Beaune 1er Cru

  Vines 45 years old, vineyard 240 metres above sea level. Contains 25% whole clusters. A precise, fine and perfumed nose of cherries, blackberries and earth, with violets and dark flowers. A complex and interesting wine. Fine and pure. Dark cherries and blackberries with earth and gravelly minerals. Some stemmy freshness adds detail. My favourite of the 1ers. Very good!

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Corton-La Vigne au Saint

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  Vines 60 years old, David uses selection massale in this vineyard. Laidoix limestone, 20 ha per hl in 2017, he noted. Whole bunch 40%. Bouquet of raspberries, red cherries, wet limestone and chalk. In the mouth, dense and powerful, a step up in concentration from the 1ers. Again very pure and clean, but this time more red fruited and mineral. Precise acidity. Spherical, refined tannins. A very good Corton.

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• 2017 Domaine des Croix Corton-Grèves

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton Grand Cru

  South east facing site. Vines 60 years old on rocky limestone soil. David said that Domaine des Croix is one of only three producers from this climat (the others are Jadot and Louis Latour). A bouquet redolent in red fruit perfumes. Raspberry, red cherry and red plum with crushed chalky limestone. On palate, very serious and a little severe. Drinkable now but still quite closed. Still, attractive purity and minerality with sparkling acidity. Red fruit with some iron at its dense core. Fine grained tannins. Long mineral finish with some tannic grip on the back. I agreed with David's preference for the Corton-Grèves over the La Vigne au Saint. He said "there's more potential here ... greater depth of fruit but it's a little shy now". He noted it "needs 10-15 years for the acidity and structure to resolve".

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• 2014 Domaine des Croix Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru

  David opened a bottle to show us something beyond his current vintage. A bouquet of dark berries, earth, freshly cut and dried herbs. On palate, fresh, racy and enjoyable. Relatively open and accessible. Dark fruited, earthy and herby. "The texture and structure are great", said Mark. A wine to drink sooner rather than later.

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