“Some of Burgundy’s most underrated terroirs are hiding in plain sight,” was Dan Keeling’s byline in his article called Bad to the Beaune. Keeling’s piece—to be found in his excellent Who is Afraid of Romanée-Conti—has some very nice things to say about David Croix. And why not? David Croix, who was headhunted to head up historic négociant Camille Giroud at the age of 24, has long been considered a wunderkind in Burgundy circles and is, without doubt, the commune’s benchmark artisan. Beaune’s issue has never been a question of great terroir; it has simply lacked enough quality-minded growers to exploit it. Grower-producers such as Benjamin Leroux, Chanterêves, Antoine Jobard, Jean-François Germain, Théo Dancer, Thomas Boulay and several others are making delicious wines from Beaune’s myriad terroirs. Now, thanks to the recent sale of Bouchard and the subsequent release of many of its fruit contracts, more will surely follow. David Croix is not only ahead of the game—the domaine celebrates its 20th anniversary this year—and not only does he specialise in Beaune, but he grows stellar wines and has been doing so for years—at incredibly fair pricing. His dream to make people understand the great value of Beaune is now a reality, even if his discreet personality, humility and aversion to travel mean he isn’t nearly as well-known outside of France as he should be. But those who know, know! In 2022, Croix picked a little later than many of his peers. David, who does not mince his words, told us: “I’d rather accept a little of the reality of the vintage than pick too early.” It’s an interesting point for Australian producers to reflect on! Regardless, he wasn’t late, either, picking from 1st to 6th September, harvesting in the mornings to bring the fruit in cool. The wines showcase the depth and flesh of the sunny vintage but maintain the deliciousness and balance for which David’s wines are known. There’s an energy and precision to the fruit that points to 2017, allied with the density of 2020. The difference with the latter vintage is that Croix had less hydric stress in ’22; in fact, they had good rain in June when the vines needed it. The yields were higher than ’20, too, slowing down ripening and enhancing the wine’s drinkability. No sulphur was added during the aging, and plenty of ripe stems were used this year to build structure, aroma and freshness. David is no cheerleader of the current fashion (in some quarters) to under-extract and is happy to use punchdowns, working his cap three times a day. So, the wines offer supple power with succulence; fleshy, delicious and authentic red Burgundies that remain underpriced compared to many of his peers.