Pierre Girardin : Corton Grand Cru "Les Perrières" 2021

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Corton Grand Cru "Les Perrières" 2021 by Pierre Girardin

Tasting

Color

The color displays a classic, elegant ruby-red hue.

Nose

The nose reveals fine aromatic intensity, with notes of ripe red fruits such as sour cherry, blackberry and lingonberry. Subtle floral touches mingle with hints of spice, gradually evolving toward aromas of undergrowth and truffle. Notes of dried flowers, dried rose petals, licorice and peppery herbs complete this complex bouquet.

Palate

On the palate, this wine charms with its silky texture, enveloping a precise and elegant tannic structure. The balance is remarkable, with a finesse that favors aromatic purity over excessive extraction. The finish is persistent, marked by refined minerality and hints of licorice.

Food and wine pairings

This Corton Grand Cru "Les Perrières" 2021 pairs beautifully with roasted or grilled red meats, as well as feathered game such as duck, goose or partridge. It also matches very well with braised preparations of lean red meats and venison. Soft-ripened cheeses and blue cheeses also make excellent pairings.

Serving and cellaring

The Corton Grand Cru "Les Perrières" 2021 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 14 and 16°C. This wine can be enjoyed now, but will continue to evolve favorably in the cellar until around 2036, or even beyond for bottles stored in optimal conditions.

An elegant, mineral Corton Grand Cru by Pierre Girardin

The estate

The Domaine Pierre Girardin was established in 2016 by Pierre-Vincent Girardin, who produced his first vintage in 2017 at the age of 19. Based in Meursault in the Côte de Beaune, this Burgundy estate now covers 13 hectares of vineyards. Pierre-Vincent Girardin, from a family line of thirteen generations of winegrowers, inherited 4.5 hectares passed down by his father, Vincent Girardin. The estate stands out for a revolutionary winemaking philosophy focused on purity, elegance and minimal intervention, with an organic and biodynamic approach to its vineyards.

The vineyard

The Corton Grand Cru is the largest Grand Cru terroir in Burgundy, spanning 145 hectares across the communes of Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix-Serrigny and Pernand-Vergelesses. The Climat "Les Perrières" lies on the Hill of Corton at an altitude of 273 meters, with a southeast exposure. The name "Perrières" refers to the many stones scattered throughout this terroir, often pink in color, in a deep soil of brown and red clay. The vines, averaging 45 years old, face east on a steep slope. The limestone terroir is characterized by reddish, stony soils derived from brown limestone enriched with marl deposits with a high potassium content.

The vintage

The winter of 2021 was marked by an episode of unusually severe frost affecting the entire French vineyard. A milder spring encouraged flowering at the end of May, followed by particularly rainy months of June and July. Weather instability was observed from mid-July to mid-August, before more favorable conditions made it possible to refine grape ripeness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Corton Grand Cru "Les Perrières" 2021 were harvested by hand and rigorously sorted on a sorting table at the winery. After light crushing and destemming, the fruit was placed in stainless steel tanks. A cold soak of a few days preceded fermentation at low temperature, punctuated by regular punch-downs and pump-overs. After pneumatic pressing, the wine was aged in 225-liter Burgundy barrels, around 30% of which were new, for approximately 15 months. One month before bottling, the wine was blended in tank, without fining and with light filtration.

Varietal

100% Pinot Noir