2019 Domaine Justin Girardin Bourgogne Blanc Burgundy 750 ml

Justin Girardin possesses a princely set of advantages. 

His family has been a presence in Burgundy for 700 years and his close connection to his uncle Vincent, a world-renowned négociant, opens plenty of doors. On top of that, he inherited 42 prime acres in top villages such as Pommard and Chassagne-Montrachet, whose secrets he learned from his father. If that weren’t enough, he has real talent—an intuitive feel for the vines, and that can’t be taught.

Some might parlay that into high bottle-prices and a small personal fortune, but Girardin went in the opposite direction: He’s trained his attention on crafting Burgundies that beautifully capture a sense of place without requiring buyers to break the bank.

His specialty is producing ripping bargains like this Bourgogne Blanc that achieve amazing precision and terroir transparency. The product of organic and biodynamic farming techniques, his elegant, luminous 2019 is an incredible effort from one of Burgundy’s brightest young stars.

Girardin tries to stay as hands-off as possible in the vineyard, letting Mother Nature take the lead, and also minimizing the amount of adjustments he makes in the cellar, employing native yeasts and very little new oak.

The 2019 Bourgogne Blanc is primarily composed of grapes from Girardin’s holding in Santenay, and they are a massive stylistic step up from the rustic expressions of earlier generations. Aided by a vintage that many believe could be one of the best in decades, this bottling captures the vivacity and brilliantly lifted acidity that distinguish the best whites of Santenay.

Pull it cold out of the fridge to serve with cheese or oysters and you’ll know exactly what you’re getting: superb Bourgogne Blanc minus the sticker shock.