2017 Domaine-Maison Vincent Girardin Gevrey-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes

With its 60-year-old vines providing impeccable concentration and depth, wines like this “brilliant” 2017 Vincent Girardin Vieilles Vignes Gevrey-Chambertin are as classic as it gets in Burgundy, with pricing that’s anything but. 

A lighter and more graceful expression of Gevrey-Chambertin, with all the underlying muscle and density that typify the village, this classic Pinot Noir’s diaphanous ruby hue belies all the complex architecture it contains. A few swirls of the glass reveal black cherry, dark raspberry, violet, licorice, and clove perfume, backed by hints of Tahitian vanilla, tilled earth, and bitter chocolate. 

Few Burgundy producers can capture such textbook, terroir-driven typicity of site as Girardin, making his portfolio among the most compellingly complete studies of the Côte d’Or’s distinct characteristics—especially for those who don’t wish to spend tens of thousands of dollars training their palates in its nuances. 

Robert M. Parker Jr. clearly agreed when he wrote, “I know of no other producer in Burgundy that can deliver as broad a range of outstanding wines at such reasonable prices.”

A slightly higher-toned palate displays a brilliant cohesion with its aromatic amuse-bouche, enveloping both with a core of wild strawberry, cherry, wild herb, and black tea notes, heightened by beautifully integrated toasted oak spice. Lithe and graceful yet tightly packed, its super-fine tannic frame positions this Gevrey as one to check in on (frequently, if you’re us!) over the next 15+ years. 

Though most of us have been longtime fans of Vincent Girardin since our early wine days working restaurant floors, it wasn’t until a few of us were studying for the Master of Wine tasting exam that we fully understood why. 

When studying for the infamously grueling blind tasting portion, we were grateful for affordable yet classic expressions like this 2017 Vieilles Vignes. So expertly articulated to its site, it makes it easy to pinpoint what’s so singular about Gevrey-Chambertin’s clay and limestone soils and their specific impact on this wine. 

Vincent Girardin is the son of a family of winegrowers who have been based in Santenay since the 17th century. In 1980, at the age of 19, he decided to strike out on his own and began producing wine from five acres of vines that he inherited from his parents. The quality of his wines skyrocketed Girardin to fame among connoisseurs and classicists, and the growth of his extensive holdings quickly followed suit. 

Eric Germain has supervised winemaking since 2002. In recent years, he’s kicked things up a notch with an increased emphasis on converting to biodynamics—perfecting the wines in the vineyard before they even get to the cellar, allowing the concentrated fruit character from the 60-year-old vines to shine through in wines like this Vieilles Vignes. 

That strategy works especially well in good vintages, and 2017 was “bloody awesome,” according to Vinous. A benign, drama-free growing season predicated what they called “one of the most consistent vintages” of the last 20 years.

A definitive red Burgundy in everything but price, Girardin’s 2017 Vieilles Vignes Gevrey-Chambertin is here to school us in the terroir-driven, cellar-worthy potential that top producers can still achieve for well under $100. This fabulous wine makes students of us all.  

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Acidity
• Tannin

• ABV 13.00%
• 30 mins
• Now – 2035
• % Pinot Noir
• Serving temperature – 58°
• Cork