Hospices
de Beaune is a charitable medical foundation, with holdings include the
Hotel-Dieu; the Hospices de la Charite, a hospital founded by
Rousseau-Deslandes family in 1645; the Centre Hospitalier, an intensive-care
facility completed in 1971; and Centre Nicolas Rolin, a long- and medium-term
care centre, opened in 1984.
The
Hospices was commissioned on 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Philippe le
Bon, Duke of Burgundy, completed in only eight years. The Hotel-Dieu has a
fabulously patterned, multicoloured roof line, with a well-preserved Gothic
architecture, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions.
The
Hospices owns a number of vineyards, and the income derived from the wines help
to provide the medical facilities to the local people. First donation of vines
to the Hospices dated from 1457, when Jehan de Clomoux of Beaune bequeathed
land in Corton.
For
hundreds of years people continued to donate vines, which also appears on the
labels of the cuvees still produced under their name. Currently Roland Masse
and a team of 23 vignerons care for the more than 60 ha vines, adopting
traditional viticulture and vinification, with around two weeks of maceration
and fermentation in tanks, and occasional pigeage.
Most of
the wines are cuvees instead of individual vineyards, with blends combining
village plots with premiers crus. The wines are aged in new barrels because of
the nature the wine is sold, so the style will be quite powerful, with 100% new
oak, low yields and ripe grapes.
In 1859
the administrative commission decided to carry out the selling of the wines
through auction, and the practice is carried on until today, except in 1956 and
1968 when the quality was deemed too low. Recently it was Christie’s which took
up the auction.
I have
recently tasted the following wines:
Beaune 1er Cru Cuvee Nicolas Rolin 2010
AppearanceBright and clear, this wine is of light ruby color, with legs.
Nose
Clean, the nose shows medium (+) intensity aromas of maturity notes of savory, red fruit of cranberry and raspberry, floral notes of violet, kernel notes of chocolate. The wine is developing.
Clean, the nose shows medium (+) intensity aromas of maturity notes of savory, red fruit of cranberry and raspberry, floral notes of violet, kernel notes of chocolate. The wine is developing.
Palate
Dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannin of ripe of smooth texture, the wine has medium alcohol though feeling a bit warming and is of medium (-) body with medium intensity (+) flavors of red fruit such as raspberry and red cherry, oak notes of vanilla, dairy notes of cream, kernel notes of popcorn, oak notes of toast. The wine has a medium finish.
Dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannin of ripe of smooth texture, the wine has medium alcohol though feeling a bit warming and is of medium (-) body with medium intensity (+) flavors of red fruit such as raspberry and red cherry, oak notes of vanilla, dairy notes of cream, kernel notes of popcorn, oak notes of toast. The wine has a medium finish.
Conclusion
Good quality Beaune premier cru with a good intense nose showing surprising development despite its young age. Not particularly complex but it did show a good glimpse of the different fruit, oak and maturity characters to make the wine interesting. On the palate it is a bit too warming despite the ‘normal’ alcohol level, with good concentration and complexity, plus a reasonable finish. It is ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 3-5 years.
Good quality Beaune premier cru with a good intense nose showing surprising development despite its young age. Not particularly complex but it did show a good glimpse of the different fruit, oak and maturity characters to make the wine interesting. On the palate it is a bit too warming despite the ‘normal’ alcohol level, with good concentration and complexity, plus a reasonable finish. It is ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 3-5 years.
Volnay-Santenots 1er Cru Cuvee Gauvain 2010
Appearance
Bright and clear, this wine is of light ruby color, with legs.
Bright and clear, this wine is of light ruby color, with legs.
Nose
Clean, the nose shows medium intensity aromas of some black fruit of blackberry, red fruit such as red cherry and raspberry, floral notes of iris, sweet spice of cumin, oak notes of cedar, mineral notes of earth. The wine is youthful.
Clean, the nose shows medium intensity aromas of some black fruit of blackberry, red fruit such as red cherry and raspberry, floral notes of iris, sweet spice of cumin, oak notes of cedar, mineral notes of earth. The wine is youthful.
Palate
Dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannin of ripe of smooth texture, the wine has medium alcohol and is of medium body with medium intensity flavors of red fruit such as raspberry, red cherry and plum, oak notes of cedar, floral notes of iris, The wine has a medium finish.
Dry with medium acidity, medium (-) tannin of ripe of smooth texture, the wine has medium alcohol and is of medium body with medium intensity flavors of red fruit such as raspberry, red cherry and plum, oak notes of cedar, floral notes of iris, The wine has a medium finish.
Conclusion
Good quality Volnay with a reasonably intense nose, with a fair complexity the wine is subtle but elegant, and on the palate it shows also reasonable concentration, though a bit less complex. Having a fair length, this wine is too early to drink now and will need about another 2-3 years.
Good quality Volnay with a reasonably intense nose, with a fair complexity the wine is subtle but elegant, and on the palate it shows also reasonable concentration, though a bit less complex. Having a fair length, this wine is too early to drink now and will need about another 2-3 years.
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