From the Chalandins vineyard – just south of Clos Vougeot – and vinified with 40% clusters and stems (whereas most wines in this collection were fully de-stemmed) the Camille Giroud 2008 Vosne-Romanee – tasted from tank – smells of hedge flowers, cassis, blackberry, fresh ginger, cinnamon, and Latakia tobacco. Palate-staining, exuberantly bright, and almost sizzling in its tactile spiciness, this finishes with vibratory intensity and length remarkable for village-level. It should be worth savoring for at least the next 6-8 years. David Croix’s 2008 Camille Giroud collection was picked late; slow to evolve; and for the most part had not been bottled when I tasted in April. Although I missed out on a couple of wines in this year’s collection, the line-up from Camille Giroud was also smaller than in previous years. (I have not tasted the 2007s here. For details about the recent revival of Camille Giroud and about David Croix’s approach, readers are referred to reports in issues 160 and 170 respectively; and for reports on Croix’s own domaine, see under Domaine des Croix.) A Becky Wasserman Selection, Le Serbet (various importers); fax 011-333-80-24-29-70