Winery: Domaine Vincent Girardin

Country / Region: France / Burgundy - Volnay Santenots

Date Winery was established: 1982

Grape Variety: Pinot Noir

Alcohol Content / Volume: 13% / 750ml

Year the vintage was first released: 1994

Ratings: 92 pts. Cellar Tracker

Decanting Time: decant for one hour and serve at 12 - 14°C.

Our suggestion for decanting time is based on bottles we tried at Txanton in 2023. We guarantee that Txanton stocks are imported and maintained in proper storage within the correct temperature and humidity suitable for wine.

Good to Know: As one of the leading biodynamic wine specialists in Burgundy, combined with the expertise of winemaker Eric Germain, Domaine Vincent Girardin makes use of indigenous yeast during the fermentation process of their wines. Winemaking additives were discontinued, as were herbicides and insecticides. They also harvest grapes earlier than intended in order to ensure balance and avoiding over ripening. The use of new oak has been strictly limited, focusing more on the length the wines are stored in the barrel. This allows the wines to develop a more delicate and subtle complexity and elegance.

Domaine Vincent Girardin's Volnay 1er Cru "Les Santenots" comes from the Les Santenots parcel who's soils slightly differ from the rest of Volnay. They are made of harder limestone and are redder in color, giving away a reasonably high iron content and proportionally more clay which gives body and richness to wines from the site. The wine's opulence can easily be detected on its nose. Notes of freshly crushed raspberry and ripened red currant intertwine seamlessly with forest floor, sweet cinnamon spice and cloves. The palate expresses further complexity with the addition of umami nuances of black truffle notes and hints of minerality. The wine's brilliant yet elegant tannins are complimented by its full bodied finish.

A prestigious domaine based in Mersault, Domaine Vincent Girardin is highly regarded for the creation of some of the best biodynamic wines in Burgundy today. Having inherited five acres of vines from his parents, whose family goes back to the 17th Century in Burgundy, 19-year-old Vincent Girardin, went out on his own in 1980 to produce the best grapes he could find in Côte de Beaune. In 2001, he shifted his focus on the purity and elegance of his wines rather than the concentrated and heavily extracted styles in the 90's. This eventually led to the revolution on the style of wines being produced in the region.