Presentation
The Hospices de Nuits was founded in 1270, at the height of the Middle Ages, even before the one in Beaune, as a hospital to take in and treat the poor. Over the centuries, this philanthropic and charitable organization received donations of vineyards, given by rich, local families in order to ensure its survival. The estate, even smaller than the Hospices de Beaune’s, today covers a surface area of 12.5 hectares of Nuits-Saint-Georges and Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru’s finest vines, including the “Les Didiers” monopole and the prestigious “Saint-Georges”. Since 1961, the wines have been sold “en primeur” in the barrel, at a grand auction held in March at the prestigious Château du Clos de Vougeot, and are then aged and bottled by a Burgundian négociant. In the past, the wines were sold by mutual agreement and the House of Edouard Delaunay, which had had long-standing relations with the Hospices, was entrusted on several occasions with the exclusivity of the vintage. Buying wine at the Hospices de Nuits means participating in a cause for charity (the money raised finances the hospital, retirement home and several associations) that brings together philanthropy, exceptional wines, the art of living and culture in a unique way.
Terroir
Under the famous Prûliers and Didiers, these southern crus offer us a wine that is a bit strict at first, with a great aging potential, promising true complexity if one knows how to be patient.
Winemaking
Hand-picked with the utmost care, the grapes are brought back to the Hospices winery, destemmed and then put into tanks by gravity. The winemaking process, overseen by Jean-Marc Moron, cellar master of the Hospices de Nuits, is traditional. The wine is then put into new barrels and aged in the Hospices cellar until it is taken over by Edouard Delaunay in March. The total aging process is about 15 months.
Specifications
Production volume : 288 BOTTLES".
Tasting
Magnificent purple color with velvet nuances. Lovely nose of cooked fruits (plum, black cherry) enhanced with a hint of licorice. Then emerge scents of noble wood essences (cherry, fresh oak, juniper) and warm nuances of hops and cocoa. Note of thyme. The mouthfeel is straight, structured, and offers a beautiful controlled acidity. In line with the limestone terroir of Nuits-Saint-Georges, mineral, earthy, and rocky nuances are found (graphite). A very interesting wine to taste, with ripe and powerful tannins that suggest great longevity.
Food pairings
Superb with a tartine of cured ham, figs and fresh cheese, grilled pork chop, or oven-roasted eggplants with miso and sesame.