2024 Philippe Girard - St. Aubin en la RANCHE (750ml)

Domaine Philippe Girard is a family estate in the heart of Savigny-lès-Beaune with roots stretching back more than five centuries. Brothers Philippe and Jean-Jacques Girard each built their own domaines from that shared inheritance, and today Philippe's son Arnaud has taken over the eleven-hectare property, farming sustainably across a roughly even split of white and red plantings in prestigious Côte de Beaune appellations including Savigny-lès-Beaune, Pommard, and Volnay. The family's approach favors patient, traditional vinification and careful oak aging, producing wines built for both immediate enjoyment and further cellaring.

En la Ranchée is a Saint-Aubin premier cru vineyard tucked between the villages of Gamay and Saint-Aubin itself, a climat in its own right within the larger Sur le Sentier du Clou lieu-dit. This particular parcel, just under a hectare, sits on an east-facing hillside slope with limestone soils and twenty-year-old Chardonnay vines planted at high density. The grapes are fully destemmed, pressed, and left to settle before fermenting in vats for eight to ten days, then aged for eight to ten months in oak barrels, twenty to thirty percent of which are new, giving the wine structure without heavy oak influence.

The wine pours a golden hue, opening with white flowers, flint, green almond, and orange blossom on the nose. The palate is firm and complete, with real textural depth. It pairs beautifully with grilled fish and shellfish, braised veal shank, or a simple roast chicken.