Presentation of Domaine Pierre Girardin

DISCOVER THE WINES OF DOMAINE PIERRE GIRARDIN

• Domaine Pierre Girardin: The essentials

- Domaine Pierre Girardin was founded in 2016

- Pierre Vincent is the 13th generation of winegrower in the family

- Pierre Vincent's first vintage in 2017 at the age of 19

- 6.5 hectares of vines located in the communes of Beaune, Corton, Pommard, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Bâtard Montrachet. And 6.2 hectares of vines in the Jura. 85% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Noir.

o   1 regional appellation

o   19 village appellations

o   13 1er Cru appellations

o   6 Grand Cru appellations

o   6 Vins de France appellations (as Jura wines are vinified in Burgundy, they lose their appellations)

- Uses organic products that respect the environment but are not certified.

- Controlled yields and vinification/ageing with little intervention to bring out the best in the terroir.

- Whole harvest for white and red wines

- Bottling according to the lunar calendar and atmospheric pressure.

- Aged in 456-litre oak barrels for 12 months, then in vats for 7 months.  Around 50% new barrels

- Precise, well-balanced white wines that express the minerality of the terroir. Floral, fresh and sapid red wines, with supple tannins and little woodiness.

• History of the Girardin estate and family

Descended from a line of iconic winemakers, Pierre Vincent Girardin grew up in the heart of Burgundy's great wines, shaped by the expertise of his father Vincent Girardin, a leading figure in the region. Following the sale of the family estate in 2011, Vincent Girardin retained 2.5 hectares of vines, laying the foundations for his son's future as a winemaker.

Driven by a singular ambition and vision, Pierre Vincent Girardin set up his own estate in 2016. He started with the 2.5 hectares handed down by his father, to which he added a further 2 hectares. His objective is clear: to enrich his winegrowing heritage by acquiring new plots each year, while partnering with producers who share his demanding philosophy and meticulous approach to viticulture.

Expertise combining tradition and modernity

The estate's first vintage was produced in 2017, vinified in the family home with the support of his father. This transitional period enabled Pierre Vincent to refine his style and lay the foundations of his winemaking identity.

In 2019, he took a major step forward with the inauguration of his own ultra-modern winery. Designed to ensure absolute precision in the vinification process, this facility reflects his desire to produce wines of exceptional purity, in which every detail is meticulously controlled.

In the same year, he introduced high trellising (1m60-1m70), a technique that optimises photosynthesis and improves grape ripeness. This enabled him to harvest earlier, while retaining remarkable freshness and acid balance.

In 2021, the estate will embark on a new development with the complete switchover of red wines to whole grape harvesting. For Pierre Vincent, the stalks are a key element in the natural balance of each vintage, enhancing the structure and finesse of his cuvées.

Expansion towards the Jura

Always seeking to innovate and expand his estate, Pierre Vincent Girardin took a new step in 2022 by acquiring 3.1 hectares of vines in the Jura. The following year, he added a further 3 hectares, bringing his Jura vineyard to over 6 hectares, devoted exclusively to white grape varieties: 70% Chardonnay and 30% Savagnin.

This diversification testifies to his desire to push back the boundaries of his art, by exploring terroirs complementary to Burgundy, while preserving his demand for quality and authenticity.

Pierre Girardin: the future of great Burgundy wines

In just a few short years, Pierre Vincent Girardin has established himself as a key player in the Burgundy wine world. Combining a prestigious heritage with a resolutely modern and visionary approach, he produces wines of great precision, offering purity, finesse and elegance.

Each vintage produced by Pierre Girardin reflects the true expression of the terroir, confirming that this young talent embodies the future of the great wines of Burgundy and beyond.

• The philosophy of the Pierre Girardin estate

The philosophy of Domaine Pierre Girardin is based on the relentless quest for a unique wine that no-one can copy. Pierre Vincent makes it a point of honour to adapt his viticultural and oenological practices so that each parcel expresses its own personality. With this in mind, he favours an innovative and methodical approach, combining tradition and modernity. His aim is to create well-balanced cuvées, where the finesse of Pinot Noir for the red wines and the rich structure combined with an electrifying vivacity for the whites combine to awaken all the senses when tasted.

What's more, the Jura project embodies his desire to demonstrate that with a rigorous selection of soils and meticulous work in the vineyard and winery, it's possible to produce great wines. For Pierre Vincent, the key lies in ‘a logical and agronomic approach’ that respects the terroir while innovating. This know-how, combined with a commitment to sustainable practices and a constant quest for quality, enables the estate to create wines that are authentic, balanced and incomparably expressive, a true reflection of the soul of each climate.

• Vineyard management at Domaine Pierre Girardin

Soil management

The Pierre Girardin estate attaches the utmost importance to preserving and optimising its soils, which are the very foundation of the quality of its vines. With this in mind, ploughing is carried out exclusively in the spring, during the growth phase, and is limited to surface ploughing. This method maintains the integrity of the soil structure while stimulating vine growth.

In autumn, winter and summer, the vines are left to grow grass naturally. This practice not only helps to aerate the soil, preventing it from settling when the ground is damp, but also helps to reduce water evaporation on hot summer days. The main aim is to keep tractor traffic to a minimum in order to preserve the life of the soil. When the soil is too wet to support heavy machinery, the estate uses motorised wheelbarrows to carry out the necessary work without compromising the structure of the soil.

At the same time, the estate enriches its soils with natural soil improvers, using compost and organic fertilisers. The compost, which comes from the family farm's Wagyu cows, adds a touch of authenticity and tradition, while guaranteeing fertilisation that respects the ecosystem. This sustainable and meticulous approach not only ensures the health of the vines, but also helps to extract all the purity and potential of Burgundy's terroirs.

Thanks to soil management that combines traditional techniques with environmentally-friendly innovations, Domaine Pierre Girardin is able to produce grapes of exceptional quality, revealing the true soul of its terroirs.

Pruning the vines

At Domaine Pierre Girardin, the management of vine pruning is at the heart of an approach to excellence aimed at revealing all the richness of Burgundy's terroirs. From 2017, the estate decided to gradually convert its pruning technique to Guyot Poussard, recognised for its ability to tire the vines less while ensuring consistent production. This method, which is particularly well-suited to old vines, allows the sap flow to be better respected.

In 2019, the estate has taken a new step by adopting high trellising, with heights of between 1.60 and 1.70 metres. This innovative choice not only optimises photosynthesis, but also improves grape ripeness, while creating the natural shade essential to combat the heatwave and summer drought. In order to protect the vines and maintain the plant cover, no leaf-thinning is carried out.

At the same time, strict disbudding is carried out to encourage excellent aeration of the shoots and prevent the onset of disease, which eliminates the need for green harvesting. Thanks to this meticulous pruning management, Domaine Pierre Girardin is able to produce grapes in perfect health, guaranteeing well-balanced vintages in which the pure expression of the terroir is reflected in harmonious wines of great finesse.

Treatment

Domaine Pierre Girardin adopts an innovative, environmentally-friendly approach to the treatment of its vines. To preserve the health of the soil and the vitality of the vines, it relies on organic treatments, in particular using sulphur and copper, thus guaranteeing effective protection while respecting the principles of integrated viticulture.

To optimise the application of these products and reduce their use, the estate has invested in a modern, high-performance machine. This equipment enables us to cover a vast area with a smaller quantity of inputs, ensuring even, precise distribution of treatments, whatever the weather. When conditions make it impossible to use a tractor, the estate deploys small motorised wheelbarrows for spraying, ensuring rapid and delicate intervention in the vines.

Thanks to these technological innovations and meticulous organisation, Domaine Pierre Girardin was able to bring in a near-perfect 2024 harvest, unlike many estates on the Côte d'Azur, which were hampered by weather constraints or a lack of time to treat their vines properly. This meticulous management of treatments ensures that the grapes are in perfect health, guaranteeing the pure, authentic expression of the terroir in each cuvée.

By combining modernity, sustainability and respect for the natural environment, Domaine Pierre Girardin is setting an example of excellence in viticulture, ensuring that its wines are pure in aroma and of exceptional quality.

• Method of vinification

For white wines

At Domaine Pierre Girardin, the vinification of white wines is a veritable art, designed to bring out the full expression of Burgundy's terroirs. As soon as the grapes are harvested, they are hand-picked and sorted on the vine, guaranteeing the quality of the raw material. They are quickly taken to the winery, where they are pressed for three hours in a horizontal press to extract a rich, homogenous juice. This juice is then placed in 456-litre barrels, some of which (50%) are new, with light toasting to prevent the wine from becoming too marked and to preserve the purity of the fruit.

Fermentation starts naturally using indigenous yeasts, with no added inputs, and a small amount of sulphur is added during both vinification and ageing. After 12 months in barrel, the wines are racked and blended, then spend between 4 and 8 months in vats, without filtering or fining to prevent oxidation.

Finally, the wine is bottled in accordance with the lunar calendar and with a watchful eye on atmospheric pressure, an essential condition for promoting the natural settling of particles and ensuring the clarity of the wine. In this way, each bottle reflects the authenticity and finesse sought by the estate.

For reds wines

The vinification of the red wines at Domaine Pierre Girardin embodies the know-how and rigour of the estate. As soon as the grapes are harvested by hand, they are brought quickly to the winery, where a drastic table sorting ensures that only the best berries are kept. Harvested 100% whole, the grapes undergo a 10-day maceration, during which they are pumped over several times to encourage aromatic extraction, without ever being punched down in order to preserve the subtlety of the fruit.

After this phase, the juice is delicately pressed for one hour to obtain a juice of remarkable quality. The juice is then transferred to 228-litre barrels, 50% of which are new, and lightly toasted, in order to subtly mark the wine without altering its finesse. A small amount of sulphur is added during vinification and ageing to protect the wine while preserving its purity.

The wine is then matured for 12 months in casks, then racked and blended before spending between 4 and 8 months in vats. Finally, the wine is bottled 3 to 4 months before the white wines, according to the lunar calendar and maximum atmospheric pressure, which encourages the natural settling of particles. This meticulous process guarantees balanced, fine red wines that faithfully express the Burgundy terroir.

• The vines of Domaine Pierre Girardin

ARTICLE IN PROGRESS

DISCOVER THE WINES OF DOMAINE PIERRE GIRARDIN

• Domaine Pierre Girardin's Jura Project

Domaine Pierre Girardin's Jura project is part of a process of experimentation and rediscovery of the Jura's historic wine-growing terroirs. In 2021, after a spring marked by a frost in Burgundy that drastically reduced yields, Pierre Vincent seized the opportunity to buy Savagnin grapes. During a visit to the region, he was immediately struck by the atmosphere and ambience of Rotalier, in the heart of the Jura Sud Revermont, a village known for its white wines and its limestone scree soils reminiscent of those of the Côte de Beaune.

This first trial led to the creation of two distinct cuvées: ‘Le Noyer’, made from a parcel of Rotalier situated at an altitude of 300 m, where the vines benefit from different levels of sunshine (shady in the morning, sunny in the afternoon, under the protection of the forest), and ‘Le Châtaignier’ at Vincelles, characterised by its old, grassy, sloping vines with morning sunshine. These two plots, both west-facing and grown on blue marl, illustrate the diversity of Jura soils. Unfortunately, due to low yields (15 hl/ha), these 2 cuvées had to be blended.

The project was only supposed to be an experiment, but in the end the results were so convincing that Pierre Vincent decided to continue the adventure. With the auspicious start to 2022, he decided to lease three new plots in Rotalier - ‘Le Noyer’ in Chardonnay, ‘Le Noyer’ in Savagnin and ‘Petite Montagne’ in Chardonnay - allowing each cuvée to be vinified independently, thus retaining the same approach as in Burgundy. This is why, from 2022, each label will reflect the exact location of the parcel, affirming the principle of ‘a single parcel, a single locality and a single wine!

For Domaine Pierre Girardin, the Jura represents the future of agriculture and viticulture, thanks to its exceptional biodiversity. The Jura vineyards, located in the villages of Vincelles, Rotalier and Grusse, are characterised by soils of blue marl covered with limestone scree, contrasting with the dark brown clay and limestone of Burgundy. These two areas, although geologically symmetrical, offer unique specificities in terms of soil and altitude.

Viticulture in the Jura is a central element of the project. To obtain fresh wines with a low pH and high acidity, the estate has opted for higher trellising (2 m) and wider rows, thus promoting better leaf cover and natural protection against the heat. This method also helps to retain water in the soil, reducing the risk of drought in a semi-continental climate characterised by cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Domaine Pierre Girardin's Jura project is no longer a simple experiment, but the beginning of a new story, in which each wine, made from a single parcel, reflects the authenticity and richness of a terroir in the midst of a renaissance.

Following the success of the 2022 vintage, the domaine decided to acquire 3.1 hectares of vines in the Jura. The following year, it added a further 3 hectares, bringing its Jura vineyard to over 6 hectares, devoted exclusively to white grape varieties: 70% Chardonnay and 30% Savagnin.

Vin de France "Petite Montagne"

PLOT: ‘Petite Montagne’, west-facing, 230m altitude. 100% Chardonnay

Soil type: Clay-limestone, stony on white marl

Average age of vines: Vines planted in 1955 under massal selection.

Vinification: Hand-picked, whole crop vinification. 12 months in 456-litre oak barrels, 8 months in stainless steel vats. 30% new barrels.

Wine character : Crystalline wine, full of energy, taut and saline on the palate. Authentic Jura nose of reduction.

Vin de France "Le Noyer"

PLOT: ‘Le Noyer’, east-facing, 230m altitude. 100% Chardonnay

Soil type: Decalcification clay resting on Bajocian limestone.

Average age of vines: Year vines were planted: 1964 under massal selection.

Vinification: Hand-picked and whole crop. 12 months in 456-litre oak barrels, 8 months in stainless steel vats. 30% new barrels.

Wine character : A full, harmonious wine, mineral and powerful, crystalline and chiselled on the palate. Intense notes of lime on the nose.

Vin de France "Les Abeilles"

PLOT: ‘Les Abeilles’, south-facing. 100% Chardonnay

Soil type: Poor soil composed of Jurassic limestone (Bajocian),

Average age of vines: Vines planted in 1959 under millerandage massal selection.

Vinification: Hand-picked, whole crop. 12 months in 456-litre oak barrels, 8 months in stainless steel vats. 100% new barrels.

Characteristics of the wine: Low-yielding vineyard, resulting in concentration and richness in the bottle.

Vin de France "Les Saugettes"

PLOT: ‘Les Saugettes’, west-facing, grassed, mid-slope on sloping soils rich in limestone and marl scree. 100% Chardonnay

Soil type: Limestone scree over white marl

Average age of vines: The vines were planted in 1970 under massal selection.

Vinification: Hand-picked and whole harvest. 12 months in 456-litre oak barrels, 8 months in stainless steel vats. 30% new barrels.

Wine typicity: Vines producing wines of finesse and representing the austerity of Savagnins.

Vin de France "Le Noyer"

PLOT: ‘Le Noyer’, south-west facing, 300m altitude. 100% Savagnin

Soil type: Fine marl resting on decalcification clay.

Average age of vines: Year the vines were planted: 1922.

Vinification: Hand-picked and whole harvest. 12 months in 456-litre oak barrels, 8 months in stainless steel vats. 100% new barrels.

Wine type : Full-bodied, energetic wine.

Vin de France "Le Châtaignier"

PLOT: ‘Le Châtaignier’, facing west, located mid-slope, very steep. Grape variety: 100% Savagnin

Soil type: Soil composed of Jurassic limestone (Bathonian) with subsoil of grey Lias marl.

Average age of vines: Year the vines were planted: 1998

Vinification: Hand-picked and whole grapes harvested. 12 months in 456L oak barrels, 8 months in stainless steel vats. 30% new barrels.

Wine type : Vine producing full, aromatic wines.

• A word about ageing wines

At Domaine Pierre Girardin, wine ageing is the culmination of meticulous expertise and an innovative approach that combines tradition and modernity. The white wines benefit from perfectly controlled reduction, guaranteeing optimum extraction of aromas and a strong acid backbone. This makes them ideal for ageing, allowing them to develop harmoniously in the cellar and gradually reveal a rich, complex range of aromas. For those who prefer to enjoy the liveliness of these whites straight away, a decanting will suffice to release their full potential.

As for the red wines, their colour may appear discreet, but they conceal an unsuspected aromatic intensity. Pierre Vincent, who favours the expression of flavours and aromas over mere colour, gives these reds an elegant structure and a subtle balance that allow them to age well. In this way, the estate advocates prolonged maturation, in which each vintage is the authentic expression of a carefully worked terroir. Thanks to this ageing management, the wines of Domaine Pierre Girardin offer connoisseurs a unique sensory experience, combining freshness, complexity and genuine emotion in every tasting.

DISCOVER THE WINES OF DOMAINE PIERRE GIRARDIN

The entire wvine team would like to thank Domaine Pierre Girardin for the trust they have placed in us.