The origins of the Clerc estate, originally located on the main square in Puligny-Montrachet, date back to the 16th century. Since the retirement of Bernard Clerc in mid- 2002, Vincent Girardin is in charge of the vineyards and winemaking. The wines are now made and aged at Girardin’s state of the art facility near Meursault. The Clerc estate of 11 hectares of vineyards is centered in Puligny-Montrachet, including 3 Grands Crus. Girardin and his team harvest entirely by hand and meticulously sort all the grapes to eliminate unhealthy fruit. They are immediately pressed in a pneumatic press to retain maximum fruit and aromatic extraction. The must is kept in tanks at low temperatures for 7 days before transferal to oak barrels (of which one third are new) for alcoholic fermentation and maturing. Bottling takes place after about 11 months for the Bourgogne Chardonnay and the AOC Puligny and 13 months for the Premier and Grand Crus. The traditional Clerc label has been modernized and is now as elegant and sophisticated as the wines.