Domaine Girard is a family estate in the commune of Alaigne, at the heart of the Malepère appellation, now run by brothers Philippe and Jean-François Girard, who took over from four generations of winegrowers in the early 2000s. The estate farms nearly 30 hectares with a zero-herbicide approach, benefiting from altitude, a Mediterranean climate with oceanic influence, and clay-limestone slopes that give the wines their characteristic freshness.
This 2024 bottle carries the IGP Pays d'Oc designation, the broad protected geographical indication covering the Languedoc-Roussillon coast and responsible for the majority of France's IGP-level wine. It's made from Chardonnay grown on 15- to 20-year-old vines planted in clay-limestone soil at 350 to 450 meters elevation. Vinified in stainless steel with no oak influence, it stays fresh and precise, with notes of citrus and green apple, plus a subtle smoky, flinty character drawn from the estate's schist-influenced terroir.
The result is a clean, unoaked expression of Chardonnay that highlights fruit and minerality over richness, a fitting introduction to serious wine from a lesser-known corner of southern France.