Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru

Pierre-Vincent Girardin launched his domaine in 2016 at roughly 19 years old — the 13th generation of a Burgundian winemaking family — and immediately broke with the oak-rich Meursault tradition his lineage helped define. His Bâtard-Montrachet sits on the limestone-and-marl grand cru strip straddling Puligny and Chassagne, where Jurassic marly limestone over compacted clay delivers the appellation's signature tension between fat and stone. The mid-slope east-facing aspect concentrates morning sun while preserving cool nights, driving phenolic ripeness without sacrificing acidity.

The technical signature is deliberate and measurable: fermentation in custom 456-litre barrels (François Frères / Seguin-Moreau) rather than Burgundy's standard 228-litre pièce halves the wood-to-wine surface ratio, suppressing oak extraction while retaining the micro-oxygenation that builds texture. No bâtonnage, minimal sulphur, and 30% new oak keep the wine taut rather than creamy. Twelve months in barrel are followed by six months in stainless steel before unfined, unfiltered bottling timed to the lunar calendar.

What no peer in this appellation does at this price tier: a producer under 30 sourcing a contracted Bâtard parcel and deliberately engineering less wood contact than Leflaive or Colin-Morey — prioritising saline, crystalline drive over the buttered-stone opulence the climat is famous for. The 2022 vintage in Burgundy delivered generous ripeness with preserved freshness after a warm, dry summer moderated by well-timed September rain — expect Bâtard's inherent breadth amplified by PVG's precision, drinking well from 2026 through 2035+.