Located across the Côte du Beaune and Mâconnais subregions, the domaine’s vines average 25 years old. The continental climate translates to hot summers and cold winters, interspersed with little rainfall. As with many Burgundian domaines, terroir is very key here. In fact, since 2015, UNESCO has declared 1247 different climats throughout Burgundy as World Heritage sites, recognising these as the birthplace and living archetypes of terroir vineyards. Each one has its own history and particular characteristics, which imparts on the wines for a unique expression in your glass. The soils at Domaine Justin Girardin are generally clay-based with calcareous gravel or more calcareous with a clay-marl base — both on the hillside and flatter sites.

Of the Santenay premier crus vineyards, ‘Beauregard’ refers to the beautiful views surrounding the vines. Situated uphill at the northeast of the village, next to the iconic windmill, the hydric soils here give elegant and fine wines with aromatic structure. A southeast exposure also helps to mitigate humidity and diseases due to continual winds. The ‘Maladière’ vineyard is named after the medieval hospitals that specialised in the treatment of leprosy, which could be found along roadsides out of town. Sitting halfway up a hill, the fine soil becomes more clay-based the further downhill you venture, producing delicate yet complex wines. ‘Clos Rousseau’ is based at the southern extremity of Santenay, bordering Maranges. The name comes from a certain Mr Rousseau, who was once the owner of this vineyard! The 45-year-old vines sit on a thick clay-based soil with limestone marls, which help to drain moisture during the summer months. The resulting wines are rich and well-structured, with great cellaring potential.