Black fruit, licorice, menthol and rosemary all meld together as the 2012 Corton La Vigne au Saint opens up in the glass. Ample and broad on the palate, the 2012 boasts explosive fruit backed up by tons of underlying structure. The inclusion of 20% whole clusters adds intrigue and sensuality, especially on the finish. Sage and sweet tobacco linger on the close. My sense is that the 2012 isn't quite fully formed, as it remains a bit mysterious and elusive. This is the first time David Croix has used whole clusters on the Vigne au Saint. So far, the results appear promising.

The 2012 Corton-Vigne Au Saint is a diminutive, southwest-facing Grand Cru with just three owners to its name: Louis Latour and Meo-Camuzet, the later acquiring the vines from Jean-Claude Belland that were shared with David Croix. David used 20% whole clusters this year. The nose is precise, understated and a little broody at present, probably due to the sulfur addition in early August. The palate is precise and pointed in the mouth. There is a nice prickle here – an edgy but focused Corton with a brisk, bright, vivacious finish. Excellent. There is just one 350-liter barrel this year. Apparently Becky Wassermann once amusingly gave Loire-born David Croix the nom de plume “walking winemaker” since he commutes between the two domaine under his charge, Camille Giroud and Domaine des Croix on foot. But he ought to be referred to as the “cycling winemaker” since his mode of transport is by pedal. Sure enough, his brakes screeched to a halt as I waited by the entrance of Domaine des Croix. Now in his mid-thirties, David has a wise head on young shoulders and has already overseen a rejuvenation in Camille Giroud, an 19th century negociant utilising mostly bought-in fruit, and Domaine des Croix, a smaller operation whose vineyards were acquired from Domaine Duchet in 2005, and subsequently Jean-Claude Belland five years later, to give a total of six hectares. David’s approach here is very simple: prudent use of new oak, minimal use of sulfur with comparatively longer lees aging. Having said that, when I spoke to him in September 2013 he was considering a racking just to move the wines on since they had remained on the reductive side following malo-lactic fermentation (the barrels at Camille Giroud more so than Domaine des Croix.) “The wines (2012s) can be unusually concentrated, perhaps a little compact,” commented David. “It is a vintage where it is critical to make the right decisions during the elevage. I had never seen the skins so thick. You chew them in your mouth and think ‘Wow.’ So now I am doing slightly longer post-fermentation skin maceration in order to keep the brightness and the texture. We suffered everything during the year: sunburn, hail, and downy mildew that all affected yields. The average yields were around 25 hectoliters per hectare in 2012 compared to 41 hectoliters per hectare in 2009. But we did not get any botrytis and the figures are textbook in terms of acidity, pH, tannins and alcohol.” Importer: Becky Wasserman Selections (Le Serbet) and through various US importers (see www.leserbet.com for full list.)