Vincent Girardin
Domaine Vincent Girardin demonstrates that respect for tradition can go hand in hand with modern winemaking. The wines are beautiful expressions of their terroir. If you’re a fan of cool-climate Chardonnays or the silky Pinot Noirs produced east of the Côte d’Or, you’ll find plenty here to enjoy.
History
In Santenay, a classic Burgundian wine village, Vincent Girardin was born into a family with deep roots in local viticulture. At the age of nineteen, he began his career as an independent winemaker with two hectares of the family estate in Santenay. He quickly realized that embracing the latest vinification techniques would bring the most progress.
His wines improved rapidly over the first decade, and demand grew so strongly that in 1994 he decided to also start a négociant business. By focusing on quality and highlighting Burgundy’s terroirs, his wines became increasingly popular with enthusiasts. By the 2000s, he had become a major name, with vineyards in top villages like Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. In 2002, he built a brand-new, state-of-the-art winery with climate-controlled cellars in Meursault.
Around that time, Eric Germain joined the estate. His family owns Domaine Germain in Meursault. After his studies, he chose to work as the right hand of renowned Greek-Burgundian oenologist Kyriakos Kynigopoulos. Vincent Girardin recognized his talent and asked him to join as winemaker.
In 2012, Vincent handed over the business to a new owner, but the core team remained intact and continued producing the wines. The new owner, Compagnie des Vins d’Autrefois, a négociant house from Beaune, appointed Eric Germain as head winemaker. After Girardin’s departure, Germain expanded the estate further, both by acquiring vineyards and through contracts in which he maintains vineyards in exchange for the right to purchase part of the harvest. This ensures access to grapes that meet his strict quality standards.
Today, the estate manages 33 hectares and annually purchases an average of 38 hectares of grapes and 3 hectares of must. The wines have retained their expressiveness and terroir-driven identity.
The Vineyards
The vineyards stretch from Santenay in the south to the renowned hill of Corton in the north. Girardin wines come from some of the most sought-after villages: Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Santenay, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton, Volnay, and Pommard.
A major advantage is the diversity of vineyard locations. Some plots are grand crus like Le Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne; others are premier crus or village wines. This gives the domaine a broad spectrum to work with and showcases the diversity of Burgundy’s terroirs.
Sustainability is a central focus in the domaine’s own vineyards. They avoid pesticides, and many plots are farmed biodynamically. Some vineyard and winery tasks are even scheduled according to lunar cycles. The growers who supply grapes for the négociant arm are trained under the same principles. If Eric isn’t satisfied with the grape quality, he uncompromisingly sells them off.
Terroir
In Burgundy, terroir dictates what happens in the vineyard, and no one understands that better than Girardin. He is the fifth generation in his family to work as a winemaker. After years of vinification experiments, Girardin concluded in 2003 that the best results come from minimal intervention. This approach allows the wines to truly reflect their unique terroirs. Meursault yields powerful, nutty whites. Wines from Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet are more floral and mineral. The red wines (almost exclusively Pinot Noir) from Volnay and Pommard are generally fragrant and vibrant.
By working with so many vineyard sites, Girardin’s wines provide a beautiful way to explore the many faces of Burgundy. His natural approach translates into terroir expression in both white and red wines. The whites are marked by finesse, elegance, minerality, balance, and precision. The reds offer gorgeous fruit, aromatic depth, and fine length and structure.
Winemaking Style
Letting the vineyard speak is the guiding philosophy at Vincent Girardin. Hand harvesting and careful sorting precede fermentation with indigenous yeasts, commercial yeast is never used.
White wines are gently pressed and fermented in oak barrels, but new oak use is limited (usually less than one-third) to avoid overwhelming the wine’s natural flavors. The wines age on their lees (spent yeast cells) for 12 to 18 months, adding texture and complexity. Grander whites are aged in 228-liter barrels with up to 20% new oak. Village wines age in 500-liter barrels. To further reduce oak impact, Aquaflex barrels from cooper Seguin-Moreau are used.
Pinot Noir grapes are hand-picked at optimal ripeness and strictly selected both in the vineyard and at reception. After partial destemming, the berries go into temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. The must is lightly crushed and pumped over the cap of skins, seeds, and stems to enhance color and tannin extraction. Fermentation begins naturally and lasts around three weeks. After gentle pressing and settling, the wine is aged in French oak barrels (some in stainless steel) depending on the cuvée. New oak is limited to 10–30%. As is standard for reds, the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. After 16 to 18 months, the wine is bottled without fining or filtration.
The estate avoids fining agents entirely, and filtration, if applied, is light. The goal is to let the wine’s character and texture shine through.
The domaine receives glowing reviews year after year. The leading French magazine La Revue du Vin de France recently included it in its list of the 50 best domaines of Burgundy. William Kelley, Burgundy specialist for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, openly admits to having these wines in his private cellar. Since 2018, Girardin’s Le Montrachet has consistently ranked as the second-best wine of the appellation—just behind those from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Leroy. The 2020 vintage earned an impressive 97 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Read moreGrapes in wines from Vincent Girardin
Here, Burgundy’s classic grape varieties are the center of attention. When it comes to white wine, nearly all of it is made from Chardonnay. The wines that have made the domaine a name for itself come in a nearly full range of styles—from the bright, clean, almost mineral Chablis; the layered, nutty, and intense Meursault; to Puligny-Montrachet that’s just a bit more reserved, but no less intense.
When it comes to red wine, it's Pinot Noir. The grapes for this wine are grown in villages such as Volnay, Pommard, and Santenay. The red wines produced in this region are predominantly fresh, with bright fruit profiles and a silky texture.