2023 Montrachet Grand Cru

Head winemaker Eric Germain welcomed me to Girardin’s winery, found in the same industrial park as Henri Boillot and Bitouzet-Prieur, as well as the Damy cooperage. “The decision when to start the harvest was crucial in 2023, more than in 2022,” Germain tells me. “We started the harvest on September 1 with the Puligny Combettes and Meursault Perrières, and spent five days picking the whites before the reds commenced on September 6. We finished on September 16 with both colors. We started early in the morning and finished around midday because of the hot conditions. We adjusted the temperature of the must for the whites before the alcoholic fermentation. The level of alcohol is higher than average, between 13.5% and sometimes over 14%. The average yields for the whites are around 55 hl/ha. The maceration is similar to previous years, 10-30% whole bunch, a four-week cold maceration and around a two-and-a-half-week cuvaison. We use more pump-overs than punching down, the color arriving easily. I was more focused on the flavor. The reds were aged in around 30% new oak. I thought that I might bottle early, but now I am thinking that the second winter will benefit the wines. The 2023 is completely different to 2022 for the whites – the flavor profile is completely different.” Cuvées to look out for are their Meursault Narvaux and Chassagne-Montrachet Chenevottes. Overall, the wines are perhaps just a notch below what I found amongst their 2022s a year earlier, but there is still plenty here to savor.