2018 Pierre Girardin Pommard Bourgogne – buy online

WHO?

Pierre Girardin, son of Vincent Girardin, is the 13th generation of a family producing wine in Burgundy. Pierre spent a significant part of his childhood in the family vineyards and cellar, helping and learning from his father. The family’s close relationships throughout the Côte d’Or allowed Pierre to expand his portfolio through long-term agreements with the best local winegrowers who own some of the most attractive sites, in addition to using grapes from his family’s vineyards. Pierre completed his first solo harvest at the age of 21. Although Pierre primarily learned winemaking from his father, he has begun implementing his own creative solutions and techniques in his newly built winery in Meursault.

WHERE?

Vincent sold his estate and négociant business in 2011 but retained 4.5 hectares of his best vineyards, primarily in Meursault, Pommard, and Volnay, which he transferred to his son. Over the past few years, Pierre has always been on the lookout for interesting and often “hidden” sites with growers who share his viticultural philosophy and who are either leaning towards or have already adopted organic practices. The grapes for Pommard come from two vineyards, ‘Les Cras’ and ‘La Chanière’, with vines averaging 60 years old.

WHY?

Exceptionally meticulous winemaking, with destemming varying between 20% and 100%, depending on the cuvée, and minimal or no pigéage (the practice of punching down the cap of grape skins during fermentation) to achieve subtle extraction. Pommard is aged for 15 months in oak barrels (25% new), followed by an additional 3 months in stainless steel tanks before bottling without fining or filtration. The main goals are elegance and smoothness to highlight the exceptional terroir available to Pierre. The wine has a vibrant ruby color, ripe red berry fruit with hints of spice and licorice, and a long, mineral finish.