Pierre Girardin : Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru "Les Pucelles" 2023

Characteristics and tasting notes of the Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Pucelles" 2023 by Pierre Girardin

Tasting

Appearance

The wine reveals a light gold hue with a particularly brilliant shine.

Nose

Displaying an airy elegance, the bouquet unveils subtle reductive notes that open onto aromas of pastry and brioche. The whole is enhanced by delicate floral and citrus touches.

Palate

The attack is energetic and vibrant, carried by a beautiful acidity. The palate unfolds in several layers, offering a crystalline sensation typical of its limestone terroir. The use of whole clusters brings a very slight bitterness that underlines the wine's freshness, stretching toward a long and intensely saline finish.

Food and wine pairings

This great white wine pairs wonderfully with seafood and shellfish, such as roasted lobster or scallops. It also enhances white-fleshed fish served with creamy sauces, like turbot in beurre blanc, as well as poultry with cream and mushroom sauces. Finally, it matches perfectly with aged cheeses such as Comté.

Serving and cellaring

This Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Pucelles" 2023 has remarkable ageing potential. Its slightly reductive profile will benefit from opening up after a few years of cellaring in the bottle, or through prior aeration before serving.

The elegance and mineral purity of a great Puligny-Montrachet

The estate

Founded in 2017 in Meursault, the Pierre Girardin estate embodies the renewal of Burgundy. Representing the thirteenth generation of his family, Pierre-Vincent Girardin is the current owner and manager of this 4.5-hectare estate. Building on the legacy of his father Vincent, he combines the status of grower-vintner with a haute couture négociant activity. Committed to a conversion to organic and biodynamic farming, the estate stands out for its bespoke and minimally interventionist approach, aiming to express the quintessence of each Burgundy terroir through cuvées of remarkable precision.

The vineyard

This Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Pucelles" 2023 comes from a prestigious terroir of the Côte de Beaune. Ideally located in the northern part of the village, in the immediate vicinity of illustrious Grands Crus, this Climat benefits from a gentle slope and a south-east exposure that ensures optimal sunlight. The vines flourish on soils composed of ochre limestone, clays and gravels, resting on a marly subsoil that gives the wines their highly characteristic minerality.

The vintage

The 2023 year stands out as a very favourable vintage. Despite warm weather conditions, the growing cycle allowed for the preservation of a beautiful acidity thanks to the meticulous work carried out in the vineyards. The harvested grapes thus display an ideal balance between generous ripeness and vibrant freshness.

Winemaking and ageing

The making of this Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru "Les Pucelles" 2023 begins with manual harvesting and rigorous sorting on the vine. After a very slow pneumatic pressing, vinification takes place with 100% whole clusters. Fermentation is carried out in bespoke 456-litre barrels in order to limit the oak imprint. The wine is then aged on full lees, without any bâtonnage, for 10 to 11 months, before resting for 6 months in stainless steel tanks. Bottling takes place according to the lunar calendar, without fining or filtration.

Grape variety

100% Chardonnay.