|
Up |
Vincent Girardin
Why do they all seem to be called Vincent these days? Was there some famous
French character who hit the headlines thirty years ago? Anyway, this one is
one of Burgundy’s new stars. Not content with being involved with his
brother running the family estate, he had bigger and better ideas. Taking
his entitlement of vineyards out of the family domaine he set up on his own
account. There is something of Denis Mortet in his character, for he is
equally obsessive about being involved in every aspect of the domaine.
Smartly, he has identified the problem that the négociant system promotes:
the négoces pay according to the appellation – not the quality of the fruit.
There is therefore no built-in incentive for the grower to try really hard
to produce quality. For example if he is paid for Premier Cru, then that is
what the négociant will get. But crap Premier Cru. However, there are
several smaller growers who do work hard in the vines, who are there in the
cold and the wet ensuring that they produce good quality grapes – only to
then sell them off to the négoces and see all their hard work disappear. It
is these growers that Vincent knows and works with, buying the grapes to
make the wine at his impressive, if somewhat out of place, Bordeaux style
cuverie in Santenay.
He has wisely restricted himself to the Côtes de Beaune where, apart from
the whites of Puligny and Chassagne, the wines are still good value. This is
because of the relative unpopularity of these wines among the serious wine
buying public, who prefer to trawl the Côtes de Nuits.
we have no doubt that if Vincent can get the fruit he can make first class
wines to rival the very best in their respective appellations. And we never
thought we would say that about a négociant. The bad news? He knows he needs
to buy an estate where he is protected from the vagaries of the market
prices, inflamed by the large négociants trying to obtain the ever
decreasing amount of ‘free wine’ as the popularity of Burgundy increases.
This is a good opportunity to be able to buy top quality, early drinking
wine, but for how long? Either the price goes up or the quality down – and
both will be out of Vincent’s control.A very fine selection here. The wines
have plenty of vivacity and depth. Vincent Girardin has just bought 50ares
of Santenay in the Clos des Tavannes. He is going to plant it with
Chardonnay. Now also new cellars being built near Beaune – a huge complex,
which will combine all this three or four cellars he has in Santenay in one
place. On the plain, not far from where Damoy, the cask makers are. Custom
built – it was very Bordeaux like. He was selling his house and taking out
all the equipment and moving it all to the new cellars. He has given up the
idea of playing with the Château de Pommard.
|
|
|
Wine & Spirit Merchants