2018 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanee Les Chalandins

The 2018 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanée Les Chalandins comes from vines planted near the storied Clos de Vougeot, where deep topsoil lends the wine a richness and structural depth that sets it apart from lighter-bodied village-level Pinot Noir. Maison Camille Giroud, a négociant house founded in 1865, specializes in vins de garde—red Burgundies built for extended cellar aging—and this bottling shows that philosophy clearly. Winemaker David Croix uses 50 percent whole-cluster fermentation to preserve a creamy mid-palate and amplify the vineyard's natural red-fruit intensity, a technique that keeps tannins fine and the structure poised for a decade or more in bottle. Camille Giroud remains one of Burgundy's last small family-rooted négociants, committed to sourcing fruit from growers who farm with an eye toward longevity rather than early-drinking appeal. The estate ferments in small lots and ages in French oak barrels with restrained new-wood percentages, allowing the limestone-rich soils of Vosne-Romanée's Côte de Nuits to express themselves without oak dominating the aromatic profile. Les Chalandins is a premier cru vineyard just south of the village center, sitting at mid-slope where the soil transitions from clay to limestone, giving the wine both weight and lift. The 2018 vintage in Burgundy delivered ripe fruit with natural acidity intact, and Giroud's cellar work preserved that balance through a long, slow élevage. The wine opens with ripe blackberry, violet, and raspberry on the nose, joined by iris, toasted spice, and a faint sweetness that suggests the fruit was harvested at full phenolic ripeness. On the palate, juicy acidity carries flavors of brambly red berries, crunchy blueberry, strawberry, and more violet, with subtle traces of tonka bean and caramelization adding complexity without sweetness. The tannins are fine and velvety, the texture seamless, and the finish lingers with a graceful mineral thread. This is a wine that rewards patience—decant it now with roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, or a aged Comté, or cellar it through 2030 and watch the tertiary notes develop. The balance of fruit, acidity, and structure makes it versatile at the table, pairing as well with mushroom risotto as it does with charcuterie. The 2018 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanée Les Chalandins is available now at Off Premise in Lincoln Park for pickup at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.