2000 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Vincent Girardin, who plans to vinify his 2002s in the large new facility he has constructed outside Meursault, describes the young 2001 whites as "less acid than the 2000s, more flatteur and less minerally. A bit of noble rot gives the 2001s personality," he adds. In 2001 the reds are a bit fresher than the whites but in 2000 it the other way around. There not a big difference between the white wine villages in 2001," he told me, adding that in 2000 the wines from Puligny-Montrachet were particularly minerally. Grape sugars were typically high in 2001, and Girardin generally limited chaptalization to one degree or less. I tasted through Girardin impressive lineup of 2001 whites with his new enologist, Eric Germain, who previously had worked with Nuits-Saint-Georges-based enologist Kiriakos Kinikopulos. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; numerous Girardin wines, reportedly identical to the Vineyard Brands bottlings in the case of the whites, are also imported under the Baron de la Charriere label by Eric Solomon/European Cellars, New York, NY)

According to Girardin, acidity levels in 2000 were quite sound, ranging from 4.15 grams per liter to as high as 4.6 for the Corton-Charlemagne, despite the fact that most of the fruit he purchases, as well as his own domain vines, was not harvested until September 18. "One feels the acidity more than in the '99s," said Girardin, who was still actively stirring the lees of the cuvees that he felt were especially acidic. Still, the young 2000s showed thick textures, owing to the batonnage as well as to the low levels of sulfur Girardin uses. The 2000 grand crus are aging in 100% new barrels, while the premier crus now get 60% to 80% new oak. Girardin uses such a high percentage of new oak to avoid getting aromas of reduction in his wines. "Once you get a certain amount of reduction during levage you can never get back the original purity of the wine," he explained. Girardin switched to later bottling with his '99s and probably will not bottle the 2000 grand crus until next March. (Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL; numerous Girardin wines, reportedly identical to the Vineyard Brands bottlings in the case of the whites, are also imported under the Baron de la Charriere label by Eric Solomon/European Cellars, New York, NY)