3. History
Vincent Girardin began in Santenay in 1982 with a tiny estate of 2 hectares (5 acres) inherited from his parents.
Soon, he became well known and the demand was higher than the production. Having no money to enlarge the estate, Vincent decided to source in grapes in order to control all the winemaking process and to create his own style.
The négoce “Haute Couture” Vincent Girardin was established in 1994 to produce wines from grapes purchased to fellow producers. We were one of the first to create such an activity in Burgundy, négociant-vinificateur.
In 2001, we moved from Santenay to Meursault for a new modern winery.
In 2002, Eric Germain, from the estate Henri Germain Père et Fils in Meursault, joined the Maison Vincent Girardin to take care of the vinification, bringing his skill and vision.

4. History
In 2003, an important evolution started. From a very modern style and a technical winemaking approach, we decided to change everything and to focus on a pure classical style with minimum intervention in order to enhance the great terroirs of Burgundy.
In 2007, the estate was converted to a biodynamic viticulture and today, we are running the 14 hectares of the estate under this philosophy.
In May 2012, Vincent Girardin decided to sell the winery to La Compagnie des Vins d’Autrefois in Beaune, chaired by Jean-Pierre Nié.
The former small team of 13 persons remained the same and Eric Germain took over as head of company with Marco Caschera, both shareholders.
In September 2012, Christophe Marin, joined us to become our second oenologist, particularly in charge of the red wines under the expertise of Eric. After the important evolution of style for the whites, we are acting now to produce softer reds in a classical style.

5. Estate and production
The estate covers today 14 hectares in the following villages including 8 hectares in full ownership:
- Chassagne Montrachet Village
- Puligny Montrachet Village
- Meursault Village and Premier Cru Les Charmes
- Volnay Village and Premier Cru Santenots
- Pommard Village
- Savigny-Les-Beaune Village
- Chorey-Les-Beaune Village
- Gevrey Chambertin Village
For our “Haute Couture” négoce, we buy 75 hectares in grapes, mostly in Côte de Beaune. With our team, we harvest 55 hectares.
Today, we cover 90 hectares of prestigious appellations with a total production of cases in normal weather conditions. 65 % are white wines. Our wines are distributed in 50 countries exclusively in top restaurants and wine shops.

6. Philosophy
The minimum intervention in order to express the essence and complexity of the unique soils of Burgundy with a natural viticulture and winemaking.
Our parcels are handled without herbicide or insecticide, deep plowing, natural compost, a high trellising on wires for a better photosynthesis and consequently a better sugar transfer to the grapes. The parcels are harvested by hand.
Long ageing.

7. Winemaking
With the arrival of Eric Germain in 2001, the research of purity and elegance was the beginning of the revolution of the wine style. From a previous extracted and concentrated style, very fashioned in the 1990s, we moved to purity and complexity.
The grapes are harvested earlier than before to keep a high balance in the wines. The use of new oak is extremely reduced compared to what was before and the ageing in barrels is now longer. The village, Premiers Crus and Grands Crus are aged two winters in cellar.
Since 2002, we have the chance to work with the most modern winemaking equipment in the new winery in Meursault. That is part of our capacity to express the best possible definition of each wines.
The attention and winemaking process are the same for the grapes we buy and those coming from our vineyards. This is worldwide recognized by professionals.

8. Winemaking White Wines-Chardonnay
Harvested by hand, the grapes are sorted during the picking.
Light crushing keeping the stems followed by a gentle pressing to get a slow extraction
After a soft racking of the must to keep a lot of lees, all is put in French oak barrels of 228 liters, 10 % to 15% of new oak depending the appellations. Bourgogne Blanc and some other appellations are in 500 liters oak barrels for a better expression of the fruit and freshness. No new oak for the Bourgogne.
The alcoholic and malolactic fermentations can then begin with wild yeasts.
No stirring of the lees in order to prevent any over extraction that could cover the expression of each appellation.
The ageing is long on fine lees, between 10 and 18 months (depending on the “cuvées”). No racking during the ageing.
At 11th month, all the whites are moved in a cooler cellar to achieve their long process of ageing during the second winter in barrels.
We follow the lunar calendar for all the winemaking process and bottling.
Natural fining followed by a Kieselghur plate filtration before bottling.

9. Winemaking Red Wines-Pinot Noir
Harvested by hand, the grapes are sorted twice, when picking the grapes and in the winery with the sorting table.
According vintages and appellations, grapes are not, partially or totally destemmed. In case of destemming, we do a third sorting by an optical sorting to keep the best safe and matured part of the harvest.
Then grapes are put in stainless steel thermo-regulated tanks.
The primary fermentation can begin and will take around 3 to 4 weeks with natural yeasts.
Gentle crush of the cap during the first week. Then alcoholic fermentation begin with only pumping-overs during one week. Then, we taste everyday and we do almost nothing except punching down or pumping overs only when needed. The idea is to avoid any extraction of harsh tannins.
After we do a gentle pressing and the wine is put into French oak barrels, 1/3 new, 1/3 of one wine and 1/3 of two wines barrels.
Natural malolactic fermentation.
Ageing for 10 to 18 months on fine lees without racking.
We follow the lunar calendar for all the winemaking process and bottling.
Gravity racking, no fining and a light lenticular filtering before bottling.