Pierre Girardin : Griotte-Chambertin Grand cru 2020

Characteristics and tasting advice for Pierre Girardin’s Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020

Tasting

Color
The color reveals a deep ruby red with black-cherry highlights, reflecting moderate extraction and the cool conditions of the 2020 vintage.

Nose
The nose shows remarkable aromatic complexity, opening with elegant floral notes of rose and violet. The bouquet then reveals aromas of small red fruits including cherry, raspberry, and redcurrant, alongside darker nuances of blackcurrant, blueberry, and blackberry. Subtle touches of earth, tea, and spice round out this refined aromatic expression.

Palate
On the palate, this wine charms with a lively, fresh attack, immediately highlighting the preserved acidity thanks to the vintage’s cool conditions. The mid-palate develops a silky, velvety texture typical of the Griotte-Chambertin terroir, with fine, polished tannins that coat the palate without any aggressiveness. The balance between fruit, minerality, and tannic structure creates striking harmony. The finish stretches out with exceptional length, lingering on fruity and mineral notes in an elegant, refined expression.

Food and wine pairings

This Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020 pairs beautifully with game dishes, notably roast pheasant, grouse, and guinea fowl. It also matches perfectly with red meats in red-wine sauces, such as bœuf bourguignon or coq au vin. Aged cheeses like Comté or Gruyère also make excellent pairings. Mushroom dishes, especially with morels or truffles, enhance the mineral and earthy dimension of this exceptional wine.

Serving and cellaring

Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020 is best enjoyed at a temperature between 15 and 17°C. Opening it thirty to forty-five minutes before serving allows the wine to aerate and fully reveal its aromatic complexity. This wine can be enjoyed now but will continue to evolve until around 2040, with an optimal drinking window between 2028 and 2035.

A Burgundy grand cru with delicate minerality

The estate

Founded in 2016 by Pierre-Vincent Girardin, Domaine Pierre Girardin represents the thirteenth generation of a Burgundian winemaking family. Pierre-Vincent released his first vintage in 2017 at the age of nineteen, drawing on 4.5 hectares of vines inherited from his father, Vincent Girardin, located in the prestigious communes of Meursault, Pommard, and Volnay. Today, the estate spans around thirteen hectares in Burgundy and the Jura. Pierre-Vincent Girardin farms all of his vines according to organic and biodynamic principles, with a philosophy focused on the pure expression of terroir and minimal intervention in the cellar. His ultra-modern new winery, inaugurated in 2019 in Meursault, reflects his commitment to excellence and precision.

The vineyard

Griotte-Chambertin is one of Burgundy’s smallest and most confidential grands crus, with a total surface area of just 2.64 hectares. Located in the commune of Gevrey-Chambertin on the Côte de Nuits, this vineyard benefits from an east-facing exposure, providing optimal morning sunshine. The soils are composed of brown limestone earth containing significant concentrations of limestone dating from the Bajocian Jurassic period, identical to that of the neighboring parcels of Chambertin and Clos de Bèze. Pierre Girardin’s plot lies directly below the boundary between these two legendary grands crus, inheriting their exceptional geological and microclimatic characteristics. This limestone terroir lends the wines remarkable elegance, a silky texture, and a distinctive mineral dimension.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage in Burgundy began with a mild winter followed by a spring marked by frost episodes in April and May, although the Griotte-Chambertin plot was relatively spared. Summer proved cool and moderate with regular rainfall, helping preserve acidity and fostering the development of elegant aromatic complexity rather than the pursuit of maximum phenolic ripeness. Harvest took place in late September under sunny conditions, allowing grapes of excellent health and quality to be picked, with an optimal balance between ripeness and freshness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru 2020 were harvested by hand, with rigorous berry selection. Vinification was carried out with around 50% whole clusters, integrating stem tannins while preserving the wine’s elegance. Fermentation took place with native yeasts from the vineyard, respecting the specific microbial expression of this terroir. Aging continued for sixteen months in oak barrels, 50% new and 50% once-filled barrels, bringing a subtle oak influence without masking the fruit. The wine then spent an additional three months in stainless-steel tank before bottling, or around one hundred and forty days, encouraging tannin polymerization and the harmonious integration of all components. No fining or filtration was carried out.

Grape variety

Pinot noir (100%)