2022 Pierre Girardin Pommard 1er Cru "Les Rugiens", Burgundy, France

ABOUT THIS WINE                                                                                                     

Considered one of the top 1er Crus in Pommard and all of the Côte d’Or. Rugiens-Bas is the heart of the best section of Rugiens, with many calling for this part to become Grand Cru. Very rocky red soil due to high iron oxide content. Limestone close to the surface of the steep slope. 30+ year old vines, 100% whole cluster, indigenous yeast, aged in barrel (40% new) for 9 months + 4 months in stainless steel, unfined and unfiltered.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Pierre-Vincent Girardin is the 13^th generation of his family to make wine in Burgundy. He grew up learning in the cellar of his father, Vincent Girardin, from a very young age. When the elder Girardin sold his domaine in 2011, he made sure to keep 4.5 hectares of his best sites to one day pass on to his son. In 2017, Pierre-Vincent made his first vintage and announced himself as a rising talent in Burgundy. His father’s extensive contacts in Burgundy allowed Pierre-Vincent to supplement his domaine vineyards through long term contracts with top growers who hold his meticulous viticultural philosophy. Together it represents a portfolio of terroir rarely seen under one roof, including such rare sites as village-level Puligny Folatières (Lalou Bize-Leroy bottles the only other parcel from this section of Folatières), Volnay Clos des Chênes, Pommard Epenots, Corton-Charlemagne, and even Montrachet itself. In order to make white wines with the purity, cut and precision he desires, Pierre-Vincent commissioned custom 456L barrels from Francois Freres to reduce the amount of new wood influence. For the reds, they are all made with an eye towards elegance and silkiness, highlighting the extraordinary terroir Pierre is working with. This means a long and gentle press followed by little to no pigeage and bottling unfined and unfiltered. In the many years Skurnik has worked with some of the top talents in Burgundy, it is rare for a producer’s first vintage to arrive with such a clear and definitive voice. As Pierre explains, he was learning from and helping his father in the cellar from the time he could walk. His best memories of childhood include chasing the tractor through the vineyards and being near the barrels as his father worked. Simply put, Burgundy is in his blood.