Echezeaux 2001 V. Girardin

Vincent Girardin is a highly regarded Burgundy domaine based in Meursault. It makes a wide range of wines from both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay although the latter predominates. Most holdings span the Côte de Beaune, from grand cru sites such as Le Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne, through premiers crus in Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin and Santenay, all the way down to vineyards at village-level and regional appellations.

The domaine has around 22 hectares (54 acres) of owned vineyards and also acts as a négoce, buying in fruit from growers who can adhere to a certain code of practice, which includes things like using higher trellising for better photosynthesis and avoiding the use of herbicides and insecticides.

In the winery, the grapes undergo fermentations using indigenous yeasts, followed by long maturation on the fine lees. Vincent Girarden does not use a high proportion of new oak to mature its wines.

The winery processes are aligned to lunar phases and the estate vineyards are biodynamic.

The domaine began in 1982 when 18 year-old Vincent Girardin, the son of a long-standing family of Santenay winemakers, made his first wines from two hectares (five acres) of vineyard inherited from his parents. As demand began to take off, he developed supply relationships with growers who shared his approach – a practice which was new to Burgundy.