TN- 2002 Vincent Girardin Volnay Les Santenots - 1er

  • 2002 Vincent Girardin Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (6/2/2009)
    Dark opaque purple/garnet. Somewhat reticent nose of minerals and leather and dark dark fruits with the barest hint of what I’ve come to call “pinot funk” and a little cranberry. Maybe even a little mocha/coffee – weird since this is burgundy, not Cali pinot. Dark fruit, black cherry and a decent finish on the palate. Overall, this seemed to be a nice wine, but not with what I generally expect out of a volnay – aromatics and delicacy. While certainly a tasty wine, this seems a bit “ho-hum, where’s the volnay-ness (as opposed to pinot noir from elsewhere)?” I seem to have this reaction to many of Girardin’s wines, but maybe the 2002 vintage just needs a little more time to reveal itself properly.

Posted from CellarTracker

Hi Greg,

I don’t have a ton of experience with Girardin reds, but I have had the same impression… a bit ripe, a bit of oak, a lack of purity and precision that I seek in red burgundy.

That said, I have had some really nice, honest and enjoyable Meursaults and CC’s for the tarif from Girardin.

Josh,

You and I seem to have similar experiences. His wines certainly aren’t bad, just “ho-hum.” They are certainly bargain priced, as burgundy goes. However, I’d rather drop a few extra on something I’m confident I’ll like than take any more tries with Mr. Girardin’s wines. Coates seems to like Girardin, and Allen Meadows has good things to say, but I remain unconvinced.

Your comment about his meursaults and CC’s also reminded me that Burghound indicated (at least in the past) that Girardin was planning to divest a lot of his red wines and concentrate more on whites (on a go forward basis). Not sure if this continued, but it might explain the lacklusterness of the reds?

greg, I think its a bit of both girardin using a fair amount of oak, and the vintage!

While I’ve enjoyed his whites, his reds have been fairly oaked from what I’ve had, and while they are certainly good, they don’t neccessarily scream terroir IMO.

The 02s that I’ve had recently are in a weird spot too as the fruit and classic burg tones almost have been conflicted. its probably just a weird time to drink the 02s and they should probably be revisited in a couple years

I agree with others here. The reds are nothing to write home about, but the white are seriously good, especially the 2004s. YMMV.

SP