2002 Vincent Girardin Clos de la Roche

Domaine Vincent Girardin is a 50-acre estate made up of 42 parcels in Burgundy’s Cote de Beaune. Vincent Girardin himself was born in Santenay, in the Cote de Beaune, and is an 11th generation winemaker. He started his own domaine in 1982 with just 5 acres of land, but he has added to the estate over the years, which he now runs with wife, Veronique. Robert M. Parker Jr. has called Girardin an “extremely talented winemaker” and notes that Girardin’s top grand and premier crus “are at the same quality level of those crafted by Burgundy’s other excellent domaines and negociants. What sets this firm apart are the bevy of delicious, eminently drinkable wines it produces from lesser known appellations, including its home village of Santenay.” The domain makes red and white Burgundies.

Clos de la Roche is a 41-acre Grand Cru vineyard in the Morey St.-Denis appellation in the Cotes de Nuits, in northern Burgundy. The tiny village of Morey St.-Denis is just south of Gevrey-Chambertin and Clos de Roche is considered the appellation’s most superior Grand Cru. The vineyard’s elevation ranges from 270 to 300 meters, and its soil is extremely rocky with excellent drainage. The soil is largely limestone, and in some places it is barely a foot deep. Writer Clive Coates calls Clos de Roche “the classiest of the Morey Grand Crus.” The largest landholders are Ponsot with 8.35 acres; Dujac, 4.88 acres; and Armand Rousseau, 3.7 acres.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.