| Country: | France |
| Region: | Burgundy |
| Winery: | Vincent Girardin |
| Grape Type: | Chardonnay |
| Organic: | Yes |
| Vintage: | 2019 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Xavier Vignon Cotes du Rhone Rouge Vieilles Vignes is made from 70% Grenache, 15% Mourvèdre and 15% Syrah
Grenaches are almost hundred years old, Mourvèdres more than 60 years old and Syrahs are 45 years old in average.
There's a spicy, green peppercorn edge to the Cotes du Rhone Vieilles Vignes. It's medium to full-bodied, with svelte, supple tannins and plenty of plummy fruit that exhibits more savory notes and spice on the long finish.
Review:
-James Suckling 90 Points
Grand Veneur Chateauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is made from 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah
Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%)
It boasts an inky/purple color in addition to a gorgeous perfume of crushed rocks, jammy black fruits, charcoal and graphite. Blackberry aroma with an air of dates pressed in alongside – this is sweet-noted. It is easy to appreciate, a sleek and stylish start. The palate holds excellent fruit that runs well and has kick. Its tannins move round freely and a minted finale comes forward. Its dark fruit is tasty, darkens on the finish, where tar and char from its oak enter. It is all very much together, a bundle of harmony, and will gain local attributes as it ages.
An outstanding Chateauneuf du Pape which display the best of its terroir.
The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.
Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%).
The vineyards are located in the north of Châteauneuf du Pape. GRAND VENEUR «Vieilles Vignes» cuvee is produced from the older vines. Thanks to time and an organic growing, roots go very deep in the soil. Yields are naturally low and grapes highly concentrated.
The vines are 50 to 100+ year old. They are planted on red clay soils covered with pebble stones.
Winemaking and aging
Harvest is destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in concrete vats (40%) and oak casks (60%).
Pair with venisson, duck, braised lamb or strong cheese.
Review:
"Up with the crème de la crème of the vintage, the 2018 Châteauneuf Du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a bigger, richer wine than the Les Origines cuvée and has a beautiful core of smoked black fruits, candied violets, peppery garrigue, and scorched earth-like aromas and flavors. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it’s flawlessly balanced and has terrific tannins, a stacked mid-palate, and a great finish. It certainly shows the more front end-loaded, fleshy, mildly concentrated style of the 2018 vintage, yet the balance is top-notch, and it’s just a thrill to drink today. It should evolve nicely for 10-15 years."
- Jeb Dunnuck (October 2020),96 pts
Review:
-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points
-Joe Czerwinski (Robert Parker) 95 Points
-Josh Raynolds (Vinous) 94 Points
Bellevue Cotes de Bordeaux-Castillon Vieilles Vignes 2020 is 65% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc.
Average age of the vines is 40 years old.
The wine offers a rich and intense bouquet of blackcurrant, blackberry and strawberry.
It is smooth and full in the mouth with a velvety texture. Acidity combined with firm but well-integrated tannins are a fine supporting cast to the black fruit flavors at the end.
Boussey Bourgogne Blanc Cote d'Or Vieilles Vignes is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Domaine Boussey is a five-generation family estate in the village of Monthelie, in the heart of the Cote de Beaune, today run by Laurent and Karen Boussey. This white comes off a single old-vine parcel set within the commune of Meursault itself, farmed on the classic clay and limestone of the slope, and carries the stricter Bourgogne Cote d'Or appellation reserved for fruit grown on the true Cote d'Or hillsides.
Two-thirds is raised in seasoned French oak and a third in stainless steel to hold on to freshness and fruit. The result is a genuine, small-domaine white Burgundy at an everyday price, with lime and citrus, a flinty edge and a note of honeysuckle carried on a fine, saline balance of acidity and roundness.
Boussey Meursault Vieilles Vignes is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes for Meursault Vieilles Vignes come from the parcels located in Meursault. They were planted in 1960 and 1970.
The wine has a beautiful golden-green color. The nose displays aromas of almond, hazelnut with an elegant oaky touch. In the palate, it is full-bodied with good length. Long and intense acidity. Great finesse, purity and elegance.
The Meursault Vieilles Vignes goes well with Foie gras, Fish in creamy sauce, Lobster or also by itself as an aperitif.
Boussey Meursault Vieilles Vignes is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
The grapes for Meursault Vieilles Vignes come from the parcels located in Meursault. They were planted in 1960 and 1970.
The wine has a beautiful golden-green color. The nose displays aromas of almond, hazelnut with an elegant oaky touch. In the palate, it is full-bodied with good length. Long and intense acidity. Great finesse, purity and elegance.
The Meursault Vieilles Vignes goes well with Foie gras, Fish in creamy sauce, Lobster or also by itself as an aperitif.
Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Heady bouquet of dried almond, butter, and mineral notes. Once the wine is opened, we have fine notes of white flower, butter, and toasted bread. The touch of sugar on the palate reveals the fruit was very mature. Its mineral structure brings purity and freshness.
Vincent Girardin, born with a passion for wine.
The history of Maison Vincent Girardin is relatively recent. In 1980, at the age of 19, Vincent Girardin, the son of a family of winegrowers based in Santenay since the 17th century, decided to strike out on his own, and began producing wine from two hectares of vines that he had inherited from his parents.
From his earliest youth Vincent had a passion for working with vines, and great respect for the potential that they represent; his ambition was to produce his own wine.
The quality of his wines was quickly recognized by connoisseurs all over the world, and this enabled him to expand his activity, focusing primarily on the great white and red wines of the Côte de Beaune.
A collection of Burgundy wines by Vincent Girardin with the same standard of excellence
To cope with the growing demand for his wines, he developed an approach that was new in Burgundy: he purchased grapes from producers who shared the same philosophy and the same high standards.
In the years between 1980 and 1990 his passion and curiosity led him to try all of the techniques that were being employed at that time. It was only in the early 2000s with the arrival of Eric Germain as winemaker, that a profound change began to take place. They decided to concentrate on the essence of the wines: the expression of the great terroirs of Burgundy. A new purity of style was born, which has now been acknowledged by all winemakers.
In 2012 Vincent Girardin sold his operation to a long-standing partner of the Maison. Mr. Nié, President of the Compagnie des Vins d'Autrefois in Beaune, naturally decided to continue with the small team of 9 people, who had been faithful to the Maison for many years. Eric Germain continues to uphold the style of the wines and Marco Caschera markets them all over the world.
Maison Vincent Girardin offer prestigious appellations coming from 9 villages in the Côte de Beaune:
Meursault, Puligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet, Saint Aubin, Santenay, Savigny Les Beaune, Aloxe Corton, Volnay and Pommard.
All of the Girardin Grands Vins are made from vines managed according to sustainable agriculture principles.
Aalto P.S. Pagos Seleccionados Tinto is made from 100 percent Tempranillo.
Climatic conditions
The farming year began with a mild autumn and little precipitation. A very dry winter started with -9ºC reaching at the end higher temperatures than normal for that time of the year. Spring and summer characterized by little rain, only some rain showers in July and late August avoided the hydric stress of the vines. The vegetative cycle of the vine developed with big variations of temperatures, alternating warm and atypical low temperatures of 4ºC for mid-June. The ripening of the grapes happened under very good conditions and the harvest started on 24th September 2019.
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) primarily from very old vines – 60 to 90 years old – from selected plots in La Horra and La Aguilera. The harvest was done by hand, in small boxes of 15 kilos that are thoroughly inspected, bunch by bunch, on the selection table.
Tasting notes
Review:
-James Suckling 96 Points
Rudi Pichler Grüner Veltliner Ried Achleithen Smaragd 2023 is made from 100% Grüner Veltliner.
Grüner Veltliner is the signature grape of Austria and produces a dry white wine with savory aromas, spicy flavors, and good acidity. Grüner Veltliner Smaragd from the Wachau is a full-bodied wine and is rich in style with notes of stone fruit, lemon, radish, and arugula.
Grüner Veltliner’s bright acidity and savory character make it an ideal partner to mildly spiced Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese flavors. Fish and shellfish are accented by Grüner Veltliner’s citrus and mineral profile while its acidity cuts the richness of pork or ham. It can also work well with foods that are difficult to pair such as bitter greens and asparagus.
Review:
#13 in Top 100 Wines of Austria, 2024. Such an expressive and elegant gruner veltliner. Yes, it has those classic peppery aromas on the medium-bodied palate, but there’s also an entire floral dimension that makes it stand out so prominently. Then comes the extremely long, silky and refined finish that’s incredibly sensuous. Sustainable. Drink or hold.
James Suckling, 98 points