In May 2012, Vincent Girardin sold his business to Jean-Pierre Nié, the owner of
Compagnie des Vins d’Autrefois in Beaune. Jean-Pierre, very sensibly, took the
decision not only to retain Eric Germain (head winemaker) and Marco Caschera
(sales and exports) but to make them substantial shareholders in the business.

As far as we are concerned, nothing has changed. They continue to work with the
highest quality raw materials and Eric Germain continues to make the wines, as
he has done for over fifteen years. Indeed, now that Eric is entirely free from
other constraints, we have noticed the wines’ gain in precision over the last
few vintages! There is no bâtonnage and extended maturation in barrel, giving
the white wines greater tension, elegance, energy and purity. In Christophe
Marrin, they now, also, have a specialist red winemaker who will work under
Eric. We are already seeing finer, more elegant red wines as a result.

"Lively and a little leaner than the Narvaux but with the same good balance
between fruit and acidity. Plus a more lifted nose and real texture. Really long
too." 17 pts, Jancis Robinson