Pierre Girardin : Corton Grand cru "Les Bressandes" 2020

Characteristics and tasting advice for Pierre Girardin’s Corton Grand Cru “Les Bressandes” 2020

Tasting

Color

The color reveals a deep, brilliant ruby, with luminous highlights characteristic of a great wine from the Côte de Beaune.

Nose

The nose unveils a complex, multi-dimensional aromatic palette. The first aromas evoke fresh red fruits, particularly cherry and raspberry, accompanied by subtle notes of orange zest. As the bouquet opens further, elegant floral notes appear alongside aromas of undergrowth and autumn leaves.

Palate

On the palate, the wine displays an elegant, harmonious structure, defined by silky, well-integrated tannins. The overall texture is balanced, with a natural acidity that gives the wine a lively freshness despite the fruit’s concentration. The finish is particularly remarkable, lingering on mineral notes and black fruit.

Food and wine pairings

This Corton 2020 pairs perfectly with game and game meats, notably duck or goose. Herb-roasted chicken also makes a delicious match. Simply prepared wild mushrooms, such as sautéed morels or chanterelles, will highlight the wine’s floral and mineral notes. For cheese, aged Comté or mature Beaufort will create a natural harmony with the wine’s tannic structure.

Serving and cellaring

The ideal serving temperature is between 15 and 17°C. Decanting for thirty minutes before tasting is recommended. Corton 2020 offers substantial aging potential, capable of significant improvement over the next eight to ten years, or even longer.

The finesse and precision of a great Grand Cru from Burgundy

The estate

Pierre-Vincent Girardin founded his estate in 2016 at the age of eighteen, establishing the thirteenth generation of his family to produce wine in Burgundy. His father, Vincent Girardin, passed on four and a half hectares of his finest sites when he sold his estate in 2011. The young winemaker produced his first vintage in 2017, meeting with immediate success that earned him recognition as a future star by the Bettane & Desseauve Guide. Today, Pierre-Vincent Girardin runs his estate in Meursault with a philosophy centered on respect for the terroir and the fullest expression of each climat’s character.

The vineyard

Corton is one of the most prestigious Grand Cru appellations in the Côte de Beaune. This historic appellation stretches across a distinctive hill within the communes of Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny, and Pernand-Vergelesses. The terroir is defined by complex geology, including rich limestone soils, marl, and Jurassic deposits. The climat Les Bressandes, from which this wine originates, occupies a south-eastern position on the hill, benefiting from optimal sun exposure and a very rocky subsoil with little topsoil—conditions that drive the roots deep and create pronounced minerality in the grapes.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage proved especially favorable in Burgundy, marked by exceptionally balanced weather conditions. The year enjoyed abundant sunshine combined with cool nights—ideal conditions to ensure optimal ripening of the grapes while preserving the natural acidity and freshness typical of great Burgundian wines. These favorable conditions made it possible to produce grapes of exceptional phenolic maturity and richness.

Winemaking and aging

After hand-harvesting at optimal ripeness, the Corton 2020 grapes are vinified as whole clusters, an approach that preserves fine tannins while allowing greater aromatic complexity. Winemaking favors long, gentle pressing, followed by little to no punching down, enabling a delicate expression of the grapes and the terroir. Aging takes place in 456-liter barrels, a size specifically chosen to reduce the proportion of new oak and preserve the purity of the terroir’s natural aromas. Bottling is carried out without filtration or fining, following the lunar calendar.

Grape variety

100% Pinot Noir