If I see even remotely affordable Burgundy on a shop shelf, I simply can’t help myself from swooping in and grabbing a bottle. Pinot Noir remains the grape that strikes the strongest chord with me, and so I’m always trying to find new producers and expressions from around the world, whilst exploring Burgundy so far as my wallet allows me to. A recent trip to Vila Viniteca unearthed a few such bottles, including the Trapet Bourgogne Rouge I profiled last week. Next up is an ‘old vine’ expression from the negociant Vincent Girardin, based in Santenay, a small town to the south of the Cote-du-Beaune.

It turns out Vincent Girardin isn’t one of the old boys of Burgundy, having acquired a licence to become a negociant (Merchant, rather than grower) in the 1990’s but seems to have grown considerably since, although he sold his business in 2012. A lot of the wines are sourced from Santenay, which makes sense as that’s where their own holdings are and it’s the area where Vincent will have known most of the growers they buy from. They tend to buy in grapes rather than finished wine, which allows for a lot more control over the quality process and the stylistic elements as well. According to those who’ve drank the wine for a while, not much has changed since the purchase as the same wine-making team has been left in place.

Tasting Note

100% Pinot Noir from assorted growers in Santenay, with an average age of 45 years. Ambient yeast fermentation in stainless steel and 14 months ageing in 15% new oak. Minimal fining and filtering. 13% ABV

A bit darker in colour than I would typically expect from Santenay (lots of extraction?) and deeper in aroma profile as well. There’s some lovely dark cherry fruit, bramble and then some noticeable toasted oak character, undergrowth and a touch of wet earth on the nose. This smoky, dark character extends to the palate where moderate acidity meets soft tannins and makes for a fairly heavy style of Pinot Noir, despite the very reasonable level of alcohol. Not a bad wine but lacking nuance and a little heavier on oak and extraction that I look for in Burgundy. I’ll have to try a few more different wines to know for sure if it’s a producer style or just this particular wine. 87Pts

Purchased from Vila Viniteca for €19.50