2023 Vincent Girardin - Meursault Vieilles Vignes (750ml)

Maison Vincent Girardin traces back to modest beginnings in Santenay before growing into one of the most respected names in Meursault and the wider Côte de Beaune. Winemaker Eric Germain, son of longtime Meursault grower Henri Germain, now guides the cellar and has overseen a major refinement in style, favoring natural yeasts and a purer, more precise expression of each site. The estate farms around ten hectares outright, works another eleven under a service contract, and has followed biodynamic methods since 2008, though without formal certification. It has been recognized by the RVF as a standout Burgundy merchant.

Les Vieilles Vignes comes from a blend of Meursault plots on limestone and marl soils, hand-harvested and pressed slowly to preserve delicacy. The wine ferments naturally in 500-litre French oak barrels, only ten percent of them new, then rests on its fine lees for fifteen months without stirring. Barrels are blended together a month before bottling, and the estate still times its bottling to the lunar calendar.

Toasted almond and hazelnut lead the nose, joined by hawthorn, lime blossom, and a mineral touch of flint. The palate is rich and full, balancing honeyed depth with real freshness through a long finish. Serve it with veal, foie gras, or a good blue cheese.