Vincent Girardin
Summary
Vincent Girardin is a Meursault-based négociant-éleveur operating across 20 owned hectares plus contracted vineyards throughout the Côte d'Or, producing primarily single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from limestone-clay soils with 40-70 year old vines. Their traditional approach features minimal intervention winemaking with calibrated oak usage, organic vineyard practices including horse plowing in select parcels, and intentionally restricted yields to preserve the distinctive character of each appellation.
Heritage & Leadership
Vincent Girardin established his eponymous domaine in Santenay in 1982, beginning with just 2 hectares of vines inherited from his parents. Born into a family of vignerons whose roots in Burgundy date back to the 17th century, Girardin expanded his holdings throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 2011, Vincent and his wife Véronique sold the business to Jean-Pierre Nié of Compagnie des Vins d'Autrefois, a Beaune-based négociant, though Vincent remained involved during a transition period until 2013.
Under the new ownership, Eric Germain has continued as technical director and head winemaker, a position he has held since 2002. The company maintains its headquarters in Meursault, operating as a négociant-éleveur with approximately 20 hectares of owned vineyards supplemented by long-term contracts with growers across the Côte d'Or. The transition preserved the house style and quality standards established during Vincent's tenure while bringing additional resources to the operation.
Vineyards & Wines
The domaine's 20 hectares of vineyards span multiple appellations in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, with particular strength in Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. Their portfolio includes Grand Cru holdings in Corton-Charlemagne, Bâtard-Montrachet, and Chevalier-Montrachet for white wines, and Grands Échezeaux and Richebourg for reds.
The vineyards feature the classic limestone and clay soils of the Côte d'Or, with variations in the calcium carbonate content and topsoil depth depending on the specific site. Vine age averages 40-50 years across the estate, with some parcels containing vines over 70 years old. Planting density follows traditional Burgundian practice at approximately 10,000 vines per hectare.
The production focuses primarily on single-vineyard expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with whites representing about 60% of total production. The range encompasses village, premier cru, and grand cru bottlings, with particular acclaim for their white Burgundies from the Côte de Beaune.
Philosophy & Practice
The winemaking approach at Vincent Girardin emphasizes minimal intervention to express terroir authenticity. Harvest is conducted entirely by hand, with rigorous sorting both in the vineyard and at the winery. For white wines, whole-cluster pressing is employed using a pneumatic press at low pressure to extract juice gently. The must undergoes natural settling for 12 hours before being transferred to French oak barrels (20-25% new oak for village wines, 35-40% for premier crus, and up to 50% for grand crus).
Red wine production involves partial or complete destemming depending on the vintage, followed by cold maceration lasting 4-7 days. Fermentation proceeds with native yeasts in temperature-controlled wooden vats, with gentle extraction through pumping over rather than punching down. Aging occurs in French oak barrels for 16-18 months, with the percentage of new oak calibrated to the wine's structure and appellation level.
The vineyard management incorporates organic practices including the elimination of synthetic chemicals, cover cropping between rows, and horse plowing in select parcels to minimize soil compaction. The domaine has gradually reduced yields through severe pruning and green harvesting when necessary, typically achieving 35-40 hectoliters per hectare for white wines and slightly lower for reds. All wines undergo minimal filtration and are bottled according to the lunar calendar.